Hero
by Jack E. Peace
Summary: After Oliver shot himself, Ryan and the others thought their problems would be over, but new ones are beginning; Ryan and Marissa's relationship will be further put to the test and Seth has to deal with losing Ana and maybe losing Summer too. (completed)
1. Hero

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, enough said. 

A/N: So, I've only seen one episode of _The O.C. _all the way through, so I'm going to try not to mess anything up. Now, my mom watches this show as religiously as I watch _Tru Calling _so I know a little bit about the characters; I know that I hate Oliver and wanted him to shoot himself _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre _style, but that didn't happen! So, here's my hopeful wishing story. It's my first _O.C. _fic, so be gentle, but please review and, of course, enjoy. 

When Marissa Cooper stepped into the penthouse suite she had shared with Oliver, she was relieved to find the living room empty. She was alone, which made this the first time Oliver had left her alone for more then two minutes. _I've got to get out of here, _Marissa thought as she sighed, trying to gain hold of herself. The thought was simple enough but putting it into action wasn't; Oliver had driven his car here and she had no idea where the keys were. She'd have to find another way out. 

Marissa's eyes settled on her purse, which contained her cell phone; she scrambled toward the couch and snatched her purse off the cushions. She tossed her wallet and house key aside as she dug through her bag, finally finding her cell phone. Her ex-boyfriend Ryan was still number one on her speed dial and she hit the button eagerly. 

As the phone buzzed through its first ring, Marissa looked up to see Oliver standing in the foyer, watching her silently. Unsure of what to do, she stared at him with wide eyes, unaware that the person she had called had answered the phone. 

"Hello?" The sound of Ryan's voice brought Marissa out of her stunned state. She kept her eyes on Oliver, heart pounding. 

"Ryan, I need you." She said quickly, not bothering to keep silent. "You were right about Oliver, he-" 

"Marissa, hang up the phone." Oliver commanded harshly, his voice heavy with a hatred she had never heard before. He started toward her, holding something in his hand that made her heart freeze and her fingers go loose with shock, causing her to drop her cell phone. Oliver was carrying a silver pistol in his left hand and his finger was on the trigger. 

Oliver knelt down in front of her, picking up her cell phone from where it had fallen. Marissa could hear Ryan's voice coming from the speaker, somewhat muffled, calling her name. Oliver placed the phone against his ear and, with a grin unlike anything she had ever seen before, said, "Goodbye Ryan." He flipped the phone closed, ending the conversation, and tossed the phone across the room. 

Marissa watched him with wide eyes, her gaze shifting from his face to the gun and back again. "Oliver please-" She began, but he silenced her before she could finish. 

"Shut up Marissa." He commanded, his voice oddly calm, the inane grin gone. "Get onto the couch." His eyes never left her face, nor did his expression change. Marissa sensed that something inside of him had changed, that he was no longer the person she had known. 

Wordlessly, Marissa moved to do as he said. 

* * * 

As soon as he heard Oliver's voice on the line, Ryan knew that Marissa was in more trouble then he had ever anticipated. He could hear it in the other boy's voice, the surreal calmness that enveloped someone right before they crossed the line. He started to speak, to threaten, but the line went dead before he could even open his mouth. Ryan dropped the phone and leapt up, pulling on his tennis shoes as he grabbed his key ring off the dresser, complete with a set of Cowen house and car keys. He was going to Marissa, he just hoped he wouldn't be too late. 

* * * 

Marissa watched Oliver pace in front of the couch, watching the hand holding the gun more then she was watching his face; before, she had never believed that he was never capable of hurting anyone, especially her, but now she was not so sure. Whatever compassion and love he had for her was definitely gone now. 

"Oliver, why are you doing this?" She questioned, thinking that perhaps she could talk some sense back into him. 

For a moment, Oliver didn't turn to look at her, simply continued pacing; finally, he stopped and gazed at her. "Doing what, Marissa?" He questioned, as though it was a perfectly reasonable thing to say. 

Marissa tried to remind herself to take a deep breath, not to panic, but it was slowly becoming impossible; she was close to panicking, which she knew would only make matters worse. "Oliver, I don't understand, I thought you and I were friends." She tried again, speaking slowly. 

Oliver looked at her as though she was the one who had gone crazy. "Marissa, we _are _friends. I love you, I've always loved you." He explained just as patiently as she was trying to do. 

"Then why do you want to hurt me?" Marissa asked, voice becoming shrill with panic and fear. She thought about never seeing her father again, or Ryan or Summer or even her mother, and that only made things worse. 

Oliver sat down beside her, resting the muzzle of the pistol against her knee, unaware of her unease. "Sometimes, it's the only way." 

* * * 

Ryan hustled into the kitchen to find Seth, his girlfriend Ana, and his ex-girlfriend Summer, standing by the counter, eating ice cream with piles of comic books spread about them. Seth was busy explaining to Summer why _Spiderman _was much better then _The Hulk_, seeming unaware of the glare Ana was giving to both of them. 

"Where are your parents?" Ryan asked, surprised to see that Sandy and Kristen Cowen were not around. Seth, Summer and Ana looked over at him, surprised. 

"They went back to the grocery store." Seth explained, sensing how upset and jittery his friend was. He didn't know why, but he figured it was something serious. 

Ryan didn't look at all pleased by this news. "Did they take the car?" He questioned, stepping forward. He didn't want to be having this conversation; every second he wasted talking to Seth was a second that Marissa surely didn't have. 

"You didn't expect them to walk five miles, did you?" Seth questioned, though he was certain this was no time for sarcasm. 

"Damn." Ryan snapped, throwing the keys across the kitchen and nearly hitting Ana in the head. "Damn!" 

Ana stared at him quizzically. "Ryan, what's the matter?" She questioned, brow knitting. 

"It's Marissa, she's in trouble. Oliver's got her, I think he might hurt her." Ryan explained, wondering for a moment whether or not any of them would actually believe what he was saying. 

Seth studied him for a moment before saying, "How do you know this?" 

"She called me, all right? We don't have time for twenty questions right now, all right? I have to find a way to get to her before Oliver hurts her." Ryan snapped, running his hands through his hair and letting out a strangled sigh. Marissa was counting on him, and he was going to let her down. 

Ana stood up. "I borrowed my mom's SUV, we can use that to get to Marissa." She suggested, looking from Ryan to Seth, who smiled slightly. She smiled back, amazed that he was actually paying attention to her. 

"Let's go." Ryan said and headed toward the front door. Ana followed after him, joined by Seth and Summer. 

By the time the other three teenagers got outside, Ryan was already sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV. 

* * * 

Marissa had never been so sure of anything as she was of the fact that she was going to die in the pent house, murdered by someone she had trusted. She could see it in Oliver's eyes, in his bizarre, crooked grin, hear it in his voice. He was going to kill her, of that was sure. 

"Oliver, I still don't understand, you don't have to hurt me." Marissa whimpered, unable to take her gaze away from the muzzle of the gun, which was cool against her skin. She was surprised at how greasy the metal was, how cold and hard. 

Oliver reached out to touch her cheek, looking surprised when she shied away from his fingers. "Marissa, I see now that you'll never be anything more then my friend, you'll always love Ryan." He stated, his voice filling with a sudden anger. 

_If I can't have you, no one can, _Marissa thought and shivered. She hoped that Ryan had understood the fear in her voice, hoped that he understood that she needed him. And she hoped he would arrive before Oliver made good on his words. 

* * * 

Summer drummed her fingers against her knees, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. "I hope Coop's all right." She muttered. "You don't think he'd really hurt her, do you?" She looked at Seth, who patted her knee reassuringly. 

"I'm sure Marissa will be all right." Seth said, but he didn't doubt the fact that Oliver would hurt the girl. He just wished he had paid more attention to Ryan this whole time; maybe they could have avoided this somehow. 

Summer nodded, though she didn't seem reassured; she had never expected her best friend to be in a life or death situation. "Can you drive a little faster, Ana?" She questioned, looking up at the blonde girl, who glared at her in the rearview mirror. 

"Relax, Summer," Ana snapped back. "I'm going as fast as I can." Summer shrink back in her seat, avoiding the other girl's gaze. 

Though Ryan remained silent, he didn't believe that they were going fast enough. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if they didn't make it on time. 

* * * 

"You're going to shoot me, aren't you?" Marissa questioned, no longer wanting to beat around the bush. She wondered if it would be easier to face death if she knew, for a fact, that it was going to happen. 

Oliver stared at her, almost lovingly, though the crazy crooked grin was still on his face. "It's the only way, the only way to keep you from Ryan and have you all to myself." He explained. 

"You can't have me if I'm dead." Marissa just about shouted, wishing that she had listened to Ryan all along. How could see have not seen that this was going to happen, that Oliver was unstable. 

Without a word, he reached out to touch her once again but Marissa turned her head before he could. Oliver's face contorted with rage at her actions and his hand whipped out, grabbing the back of her neck and jerking her forward; Marissa cried out in surprise and pain, eyes filling with tears of fright. "You just don't get it, do you Marissa?" He snapped, accenting each point by jabbing the muzzle of the gun in her face. "I love you, but you'll never love me and I'd rather see you dead then with anyone else." Oliver released her, looking calm once again. "Besides, you won't be dying alone." 

* * * 

Ryan bolted out of the SUV before Ana had even put on the parking break; Seth and Summer followed after him, running down the sidewalk. The electric doors slid open to allow them access into the hotel and Ryan didn't even bother stopping at the front desk, heading straight for the elevator. He was vaguely aware of a bell hop shouting after them, but his pace didn't falter; he had to get to Marissa, that was the only thing that matter. 

Ryan came to a halt abruptly as he practically crashed into the elevator doors; he pressed the up arrow a couple of times the doors slid open. He rushed inside, impatiently, waiting for Seth, Ana and Summer to join him; when they had, he pressed the button marked _penthouse_ and watched the doors slid shut once more. 

Seth turned to face him. "Look, man, I'm sorry I didn't believe you about Oliver before; I should have listened to you." He apologized. 

"It's all right." Ryan said, knowing there would be time enough for all of that later, once Marissa was safe. 

Summer watched the digital red numbers count off slowly, still worrying her bottom lip. "I hope she's all right." She mumbled meekly, unable to believe that just forty-eight hours ago she had been more then upset with her best friend. How things can change. 

"She will be." Ana offered the dark-haired girl a slight smile of assurance, to which Summer managed to force a smile back. She wished she was as sure as Ana sounded. 

The elevator finally came to a stop at the top of the hotel and the doors slid open to reveal one door, marked _Penthouse Suite _in gold lettering. Ryan didn't pause to admire the decor as he rushed out of the elevator, banging on the door as soon as he reached it. "Marissa!" He shouted. 

* * * 

At the sound of someone pounding on the door, both Marissa and Oliver jumped in surprise and Marissa half expected the gun to go off on accident. "Marissa!" There was no mistaking Ryan's voice coming from the other side of the door, filled with concern and fear for his ex-girlfriend. 

Oliver reached forward and clamped his hand over her lips, crushing them roughly against her gums as he forced her not to reply. Marissa's eyes grew wide, unsure of what to do; she might be able to pull away from Oliver and shout for Ryan, but the door was locked and Oliver might shoot her if she cried for help. 

"Cooper, are you in there?" Now it was Summer's voice, worried laced in her words, and she banged lightly on the door with the palms of her hands. Marissa could hear the fear in her best friend's voice and realized just how much she meant to Summer; and here she had been, blowing the girl off to spend time with the same guy who now held her at gun point. 

More pounding on the door, Marissa knew it had to be Ryan. "Marissa, answer please, are you all right?" He shouted, sounding more worried then he had before. "Marissa!" 

Heart pounding, she wrenched herself away from Oliver and shouted, "Ryan, he's got a gun!" Oliver looked surprised by her actions, but that surprise didn't last for long; he quickly cocked the gun and pointed it at her. 

The pounding on the door became much heavier and more frantic; someone was trying the knob, only to find it locked and Seth was shouting for Ana to get security. Oliver turned to face the door. "Ryan, if you come in here, I'm going to kill her." He called. 

Ryan backed away from the door and squared his shoulder, ramming at the wood with all the force he had inside him of him; despite the way his shoulder was beginning to throb, he continued ramming against the door. "Oliver," he grunted, "If you touch her I swear to God I will kill you." He had never been so certain of anything in his life. 

Oliver looked away from the door and back toward Marissa, who had been inching away from him when his back was turned. Upon seeing that Oliver's attention was on her again, Marissa froze for a moment before turning and bolting toward the door, knowing this was her only chance of escaping. 

Without thinking, Oliver pulled the trigger, the bullet fired from the gun striking the fleeing Marissa in her back, near her hips, the force knocking her to the floor. Marissa screamed in pain and shock and Oliver looked almost stunned at what he had done. 

"Marissa!" Ryan shouted and began pounding on the door once again. Summer screamed her friend's name once again, banging with her balled fists. Ryan resumed ramming against the door, feeling the wood and lock finally beginning to give way. 

With a final burst of strength, Ryan managed to knock the door open, cracking the lock and dislodging the gold lettering on the cracked oak door. He hurried into the room, looking for Marissa, his heart stopping when he saw her lying on the floor, blood blooming on the back of her shirt. Oliver was motionless, staring at Marissa with eyes wide, as though he was a spectator and not the trigger man. 

Ryan rushed to Marissa's side, kneeling beside her and gently lifting her, relieved when her eyes fluttered open. "Ryan?" She mumbled, staring up at him. 

Tears welling in his eyes, Ryan brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "Yeah, baby, I'm here. You're going to be all right." He promised, leaning her against his chest. 

Seth and Summer stood in the doorway, watching both Ryan and Oliver, unsure of what to do. Oliver seemed just as unsure as they were, looking as though he hadn't expected real bullets to come out of his gun. 

Ryan looked over at Oliver, his face hardening with anger. "Drop the gun Oliver." He commanded and when he didn't he shouted, "Drop it!" 

Oliver's face contorted with sorrow, tears filling his eyes and trickling down his cheeks. "I didn't...I didn't mean to..." He trailed off, taking a step forward, then stopping. "Is she all right?" 

"Don't move Oliver." Ryan warned, his grip on Marissa tightening. "Just put down the gun and stay right there until the cops get here." He hoped that Ana had succeeded in getting the police, because Marissa was going to need a doctor and they were going to need someone to handle Oliver. 

"I didn't mean to shoot her." Oliver continued, staying motionless but keeping his grip on the pistol. "Marissa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." 

Marissa was watching him through half-dazed eyes, though there was no mistaking the hatred in her stare. Oliver saw this as well, and more tears coursed down his cheeks. "I didn't mean it." He lifted the gun and pressed the warm muzzle against his temple. "I didn't mean it." He repeated. 

Seth took a small step forward. "Oliver, man, put the gun down." He said, knowing what was going to follow. Summer gripped his arm tightly, palms sweaty, eyes filled with tears, for Marissa and Oliver both. 

Oliver was focused on Marissa and Ryan, watching them steadily. "I'm sorry." He said before squeezing the trigger. The bullet blew into his skull, killing him instantly and shattering bone and brain alike; for a moment, Oliver's corpse remained upright, but toppled to the floor with a crash, landing in a pool of blood and gore. 

Summer screamed and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, her hands flying up to cover her face; Marissa screamed as well, though that only increased the pain in her back and she crumpled, pressing her face against Ryan's chest. Seth pulled Summer against him, eyes wide with shock even as he tried to comfort her. 

Only seconds later -though it felt like years for those in the room- Ana bolted in with the security guards and manager close behind her. Upon seeing Oliver's skull-less corpse, she choked out a scream and whirled away, gagging as she squeezed her eyes shut. One of the guards rushed into the room while the other unhooked the radio on his belt and put in a call to a nearby police unit as well as an ambulance. 

Ryan watched the guard hustle over to Oliver and looked back at Marissa, who had opened her dazed eyes once more. He slipped one of his arms beneath her knees and stood, lifting Marissa just as he had that night in Mexico, being careful of her bullet wound, and started toward the security guard. "She need's an ambulance." He said, causing the man to look over at them. "We need to get her to the hospital." 

The guard looked at Marissa in surprise. "What happened?" He questioned, already motioning for Ryan to lay her out on the couch, which he did gently. 

"She's been shot." Ryan explained, kneeling beside Marissa and gently stroking her hair. Marissa looked up at him and managed to smile slightly, reaching to take his hand in her hers. 

"My hero." She muttered, a tear trickling down her cheek. 

Ryan stayed beside her until the trauma unit arrived, wheeling a stretcher in after them. They nudged him out of the way and lifted Marissa onto the stretcher, checking her pulse, blood pressure and bullet wound upon her back. Marissa's grip tightened on Ryan's hand as they strapped her onto the gurney. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, I should have believed you." She muttered, voice thick with pain and emotion. 

"It's all right." Ryan assured her, her grip loosening as they began the wheel the stretcher out of the room. 

Somehow, he knew everything would be all right. 


	2. Damn Cold Night

Wow, who knew that I would get so many reviews? I love every single one of you, you guys brightened my day. So, I guess I'll continue this story, since that seems to be what everyone wants; once again, if I don't get everything right, sorry, I'm trying. So, keep those reviews coming and enjoy. 

Chapter Two 

Damn Cold Night 

Ryan wasn't allowed to ride to the hospital in the ambulance with Marissa because he wasn't family, so he was forced to pace around the penthouse that had become a large crime scene with Seth and the girls and wait for Sandy and Kristen to arrive. Summer was standing by the window, shaking slightly, and gazing out at the city view, trying to collect herself and process the events; Seth and Ana were sitting on a loveseat towards the back of the living room, watching the coroner collect what was left of Oliver. The chief of police that had only arrived on the scene five minutes ago was being interviewed by one of the many news crews that had showed up to pick a story out of the teenage carnage. To the four teenagers still involved, the scene was too surreal to be true. 

As Seth watched the coroner zip Oliver into a black, plastic body bag, he couldn't help but notice all the gore that had been left behind on the carpet. He wondered if the stains would over come out. He had never expected to see a body in his life, let alone one of a person he had once knew and he was surprised that he had managed to keep it so well together. Perhaps he'd need therapy for seeing Oliver blow off the back of his head; he was, so far, one of the only kids in New Port that wasn't in therapy. 

Ana sat beside him, holding his hand tightly, the least shaken up of all of them; she hadn't been there when Oliver had killed himself, thankfully missing the cause and effect of a bullet shattering the back of someone's skull. But she had seen the corpse and didn't have to imagine too hard what it would have looked like only moments before she had arrived. Ana had also seen Seth holding Summer against his chest, cradling her in a way he never had done with her and though she knew it was only a comforting gesture, it was difficult for her to tell her jealousy to take a hike. Now, however, was definitely not the time to call Seth on it. 

Ryan continued to pace, his mind swarming with thoughts of Marissa, wondering if she was all right (he prayed she was), if they had given her anything for the pain (of that he was certain) and when he could see her again. For his last question, he had no answer to. As he watched the coroner wheel what had once been Oliver out of the room, Ryan walked over to where Seth and Ana were sitting and sat down beside his friend, who looked over at him. 

"She's going to be okay." Seth assured him, no doubt seeing the look of worry on Ryan's face. "Stop worrying." He knew that would be impossible, but he said it anyway. 

Ryan nodded slightly, knowing that what Seth had said was true, but that didn't keep him from worrying. He wouldn't stop until he was by her bedside, holding her hand and seeing for himself that Marissa was on her way to being the girl she had been before Oliver. "I know." He muttered. "I just wish your parents would get here so we could go to the hospital." 

Seth had called Sandy and Kristen Cohen after being questioned by the police and his mother had sounded like she was close to having a break down after hearing what had happened. His father had promised to be at the hotel as soon as possible; the call had ended ten minutes ago, and that was ample time to arrive as far as Ryan was concerned. He was close to leaving the suite and walking toward the hospital. Ana had suggested taking their car but the chief of police had refused to let them leave unless they were in the care of an adult, pronouncing them all unfit to drive unless they suffered an aftereffect of witnessing the accident. 

Ryan was about to stand up again to resume pacing when Kristen and Sandy pushed past the policemen standing by the door and rushed into the room. Kristen instantly went to her son and ward and wrapped her arms tightly around both of them, surprising Ryan and nearly strangling Seth. "Thank God none of you were hurt." She said, releasing them and turning to Ana, hugging her tightly as well. The typical worried mother reaction. 

Sandy convinced his wife to let go of a child that wasn't hers, though he looked close to hugging the teenagers as well. "I'm glad none of you were hurt but what were you thinking, rushing off to face an armed man?" He questioned, his gaze settling on Ryan. He wasn't really too upset with any of them, but he needed to get through the scolding before he could comfort like his wife. 

"We didn't know he was armed." Seth answered, looking from his father to Ryan, finally settling on his mother, who smiled slightly at him. 

"Marissa needed help." Ryan said, looking at Sandy. "I couldn't sit around waiting for you to come home, I'm sorry." Sandy nodded, apology accepted. 

Kristen slipped her arm around her husband's shoulders and said, "I think we should all go home now." She looked at Sandy for confirmation, and he nodded once more. 

"Do you think you could drop me off at the hospital to see Marissa?" Ryan questioned, already having made up his mind that he was going to see her, he just decided it would be best to ask for permission first. 

"Of course." Kristen looked surprised that she hadn't thought of that herself. She turned to face her son and his girlfriend. "We'll all go." 

By this time, Summer had retreated from her spot by the window and had joined the Cohen family, Ryan and Ana, standing off to one side. "Can you just take me home, Mr. Cohen?" She questioned, which was a surprise to all of them. Marissa was her best friend, after all, she should be as eager as Ryan to make sure she was all right. 

"Of course Summer." Sandy assured the dark-headed girl, who made no response, simply staring motionless. Leaving Kristen with the teenagers, he went over to the police chief to finalize their plans for departure. 

Now that Sandy and Kristen were actually at the hotel, Ryan found it even more difficult to wait to leave; he didn't understand what was taking so long with the chief of police, or why they couldn't just leave right that very second. Plus, taking Summer home was an added detour before actually getting to see Marissa. However, he managed to keep all these feelings silent and try to convince himself not to stand up and start pacing the room again. 

After what seemed like ages, Sandy finally stepped away from the chief and beckoned his family and assorted teenagers toward the door. They filed out of the hotel room and into the elevator, Summer bringing up the rear, and silently rode down to the lobby. Ryan felt like he was even more impatient during this ride, though a lot less worried and tense; Marissa was in the hands of doctors now, yet that knowledge did nothing to ease his impatient worry. 

In the parking lot, Ana decided to take Summer home and then meet the Cohen's at the hospital; she looked more pissed off then disappointed when Seth didn't offer to ride with her but didn't raise a fuss despite her anger. Summer lifted her hand lightly in a parting gesture before climbing into the backseat of Ana's SUV, which was just fine with the driver; she was in mood to talk to the girl anyway, let alone sit next to her. Sandy shot his son a glance that Seth missed entirely as Ana and Summer drove away. 

"Seth, why didn't you go with Ana?" He questioned, using the same tone that he had used earlier in the kitchen. Seth glanced at his father. 

"I'd rather ride with you guys." He offered by way of explanation. He knew, however, that Ana would surely want to get into a discussion about their relationship, something he was not in the mood for at the moment. 

Sandy opened his mouth to further scold his son but Ryan intervened. "Can we talk about this later and get to the hospital now?" He questioned, looking from Sandy to Kristen, whom he assumed would be his likely ally in the current situation. 

Kristen ushered her son and husband toward the car before climbing into the passenger side, in front of Ryan. "I hope the milk doesn't go bad." She mulled as Sandy backed their car out of its parking space and headed toward the hospital. 

* * * 

Ana watched Summer through the rearview mirror, her anger toward the girl somewhat dissipating as he studied her. She didn't really know Summer all that well, but she had never seen the girl so quiet. Summer was staring straight ahead, as though focusing on something really important outside the windshield, but there was nothing but the bumpers of other cars and the highway. 

"Summer, are you all right?" Ana questioned, finally breaking the silence that had engulfed the SUV. 

At first, the dark-haired girl didn't respond. Then, she finally looked up, glancing over at the blonde girl that was now her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend. "Yeah, I'm fine. How 'bout you?" It was sort of a strange answer, but Ana didn't think anything of it. Summer was a strange girl. 

* * * 

"So," Sandy looked in the rearview mirror as he began to speak, "explain to me exactly what happened." 

Kristen nodded in agreement. "The chief of police didn't exactly fill us in on the details when he told us to come down to the hotel. I was imagining all the horrible things." 

"It was pretty horrible." Seth remarked, though he wasn't quite sure if that was the answer that she wanted to hear. "But Ryan handled the whole situation." Ryan glanced over at him, surprised. "A real hero." 

Ryan shook his head. "That's not true." He muttered, but all he could think about was Marissa. "Marissa still got shot, so it didn't go according to plan." 

Kristen turned around to face her house ward who was slowly beginning to feel like another son. "Ryan, judging by the way things turned out, I think you handled the situation as best as you could." She smiled lovingly at him. 

Ryan nodded slightly, but remained silent. 

* * * 

The Lakeview Hospital was buzzing with people, most of whom were gathered in the waiting room, looking worried and impatient, waiting for hear about their loved ones. Standing in the hallway, amidst the nurses, noise and clutter were Marissa's parents, Julie and Jimmy Cooper, as well as Marissa's ex-boyfriend Luke. Julie was dabbing at her red, swollen eyes with a crumpled tissue, every so often breaking into a fresh round of sobs; Jimmy was pacing just as nervously as Ryan had been only moments earlier. 

When she noticed the new arrivals, Julie tossed her tissue aside and rushed toward Kristen, throwing her arms around her shoulders, an action that completely shocked the other girl, especially after her ex-coworker's harsh words earlier that day. "Kristen, I'm so worried about my baby girl." She sobbed, pressing her face into Kristen's shoulder. 

Raising an eyebrow and shooting a confused look at her husband, Kristen patted Julie's shoulder. "It's all right, Julie." She said, still patting the woman's shoulder lightly. 

Ryan watched the scene, deciding by Julie's actions that they had yet to hear any word on how Marissa was doing. "Um, Mrs. Cooper...how's Marissa?" He ventured, deciding not to assume anything or beat around the bush. 

Julie looked up and stepped away from Kristen as suddenly as she had taken comfort in her. "She's in surgery right now, Ryan." She said, her eyes welling with tears again. "We haven't heard anything." 

Ryan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, heading toward the waiting room and taking a seat in one of the battered, blue plastic chairs. After a moment, Seth came and sat down beside him, clapping his friend on the back. "Marissa will be fine, you'll see." He promised with great conviction. "She's a tough girl, she's gotta be, to put up with you." He smiled crookedly. 

For a moment, Ryan simply stared at his friend before smiling slightly. Seth did have a point. 

* * * 

Ana showed up shortly, taking a seat beside Seth, but remaining silent about her concerns about something going on between him and Summer. Judging by the sullen expressions on Ryan, Julie and Jimmy's faces, now still wasn't the time. 

Sandy and Kristen had gone home to put away the groceries and throw out the bad milk, leaving Seth and Ryan to loiter in the hospital waiting room, anticipating news about Marissa's condition. They had managed to scramble together enough change for Ana to go to the vending machine and get everyone a soda but Ryan left his unopened while he waited word on Marissa. 

It had long since grown dark outside by the time one of the doctors emerged from whatever ER room he had been operating in and gathered around Marissa's family and vigilant friends. "Your daughter made it through surgery and is currently in ICU; she's awake, but a bit groggy, if you'd like to go in and see her." The doctor looked at Ryan. "Though, for the time being, only family can enter the ICU." 

Ryan looked shocked and crestfallen at his words, forgetting for the moment his joy at hearing that his girlfriend was all right after all. He had waited so nervously to see her, only to be told that he couldn't visit her at all; wordlessly, he returned to the waiting room and dropped back into his seat. 

Julie and Jimmy shared a look before following the doctor down the hallway toward the room where their oldest daughter was recovering from a bullet wound. The surreal-ness of the day had yet to dissipate. 

* * * 

Ryan was watching the sliding doors open and close over and over, admitting and releasing people and patients. Seth and Ana had taken to playing with an assortment of children's toys to amuse themselves while Julie and Jimmy Cooper were visiting their daughter. They had long since given up trying to talk to and console Ryan and were setting him stew in his own anger and worry. 

After fifteen minutes had passed, Julie and Jimmy emerged, this time without the doctor and headed toward the teenagers. "Ryan, Marissa's going to be all right." Julie assured to boy, who looked up at the woman. "She's been asking for you." She winked and gestured toward the hallway, giving him the silent okay to visit his girlfriend. 

Ryan didn't need any further prodding, standing up and slipping down the hallway as though he was worried that Marissa's parents would change their minds or that he might be caught by one of the doctors. Neither happened, however, and he was soon out of sight and no doubt in his girlfriend's hospital room, exchanging tear-filled greetings. 

Julie looked much better now then she had before going in to see her daughter, which both Ana and Seth took as a good sign. After all of the things that had gone wrong today and in the past couple of days, everything was changing direction and much for the better. "Kids, Jimmy and I are going down to the cafeteria to see if there's anything edible down there, do either of you want anything?" She questioned, looking at Seth and Ana, who had abandoned the kids' toys. 

Ana shook her head. "I think we're all right, Mrs. Cooper." She assured the woman, knowing that now was her chance to talk to Seth, alone, about what had been bothering her. 

Jimmy and Julie, the once been Coopers, headed toward the elevator which would take them to the third floor, where the cafeteria was located, leaving Seth and Ana alone for the first time since she had arrived at his house that morning. At first, Ana wasn't sure how to approach the touchy subject, but then she decided that beating around the bush wasn't it. 

"Seth, I need to talk to you, it's about Summer." She turned to face her dark-headed boyfriend, who looked at her with a comical look of confusion and interest. "There's something going on between you two, and I want to know what." She hoped that she was making a big deal out of nothing. 

For a moment, Seth continued to stare at his girlfriend, more confused then interested. "Ana, there's nothing going on between the two of us. She's my _ex_-girlfriend." He reminded her. 

"Then I suggest you stop acting like she's your current one." Ana just about yelled, reminding herself to keep her voice down since they were, after all, in a hospital. "All day you've been paying more attention to her then to me, flirting with her and everything you're supposed to do with your _real _girlfriend." 

Seth held up his hands defensively. "Ana, calm down. I have no idea where you come up with this stuff, it's-" He began, but his girlfriend leapt to her feet and stopped him from continuing. 

"Every time you look at her, every time she looks at you, the way you talk and laugh with her, _that's _where I come up with this stuff." Ana was no longer bothering to keep her voice down. "If you want her so damn much, go right the hell ahead and be with her." With those final words, she rushed out of the waiting room and through the sliding doors, keeping her face down so that Seth wouldn't see tears that were brimming in her eyes, threatening to spill onto her cheeks at any moment. 

Seth watched the place where Ana had disappeared for a long time, too stunned to react and process what he just happened. By the time Ryan returned from visiting the recovering Marissa, he had finally managed to realize that Ana had broken up with him and that hurt him more then he had realized. Everything she had said to him was true, but he hadn't realized it until just that very moment and he knew that he had realized it too late and he was far too deep to make amends. 

Ryan sat down beside his housemate and best friend, in higher spirits then he had been fifteen minutes before. "Marissa's going to be all right." He told his friend, smiling. "And she sends her best." He turned to look at Seth, noticing for the first time that he wasn't as sarcastic and comical as he generally was. "You okay?" 

Seth looked over at Ryan. "Ana broke up with me." He told his friend slowly, as though he couldn't quite believe it himself. "And I doubt she's going to ever want to speak to me again." 

"What about Summer?" Ryan questioned, though he wasn't quite sure it was the right thing to say at the moment. 

The other boy shrugged. "She might not even want me back." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It's going to be a damn cold couple of nights." 


	3. Two Steps Back

Chapter Three

Two Steps Back

Not long after Ryan had returned from visiting Marissa, Sandy and Kristen also returned from their domestic chores and judged by the look on their ward's face that the news was good. "She didn't move much," Ryan explained, describing his visit with Marissa. "And she was pale, too pale, with these tubes sticking into her arms. But she smiled some." He smiled as well.

Sandy nodded, looking pleased himself. "Sounds like she's going to be all right." He judged, to which Kristen nodded as well. "You know, Ryan, what you did was right, going to help Marissa. She needed you and you did the right thing." Ryan simply nodded, though his smile at yet to disappear.

Seth looked over at his father. "What about me? I was there." He pointed out, waiting like a five year old the praise he felt he deserved. He had, after all, seen a guy he had once considered a friend blow his head off, he needed more then praise.

"I'm still upset with you." Sandy said, much to Seth's surprise, and he made no move to hide his shock. "I think you should call Ana and apologize for the way you've been acting lately."

Seth sighed, glancing over at Ryan, who offered no comforting words or gestures. "I don't think it would do a lot of good, Dad." He said. "Ana broke up with me already."

Kristen frowned, looking at her only son. "Honey, are you all right?" She questioned, her motherly face appearing once more. She could see that Seth was hurt, though he did a good job at hiding it; it was more confused then anything, which detracted from actually feeling the hurt that would soon fill his heart.

"Yeah Mom." Seth answered, with a shrug, as if to say, 'should I be all right?' He had never been dumped before, and though he knew he should be thinking about Ana and how to make amends with her, all he could think about was Summer. How frightened Summer had looked when Marissa had been shot, and how she had covered her face like a child not willing the watch the scary part in a horror movie when Oliver had killed himself. The distance look in her beautiful eyes every time he looked in them, the look that said she was a million miles away and lost. Seth was beginning to worry about Summer, but decided now was not a good time to say such a thing, especially with his father so touchy about the whole Ana thing.

Kristen didn't look so sure but she didn't say anything, simply patting her son's knee. "It's late, I think we should head on home." She said instead, looking at Sandy and Ryan. She had expected Ryan to look upset and protest at her words and she wasn't disappointed.

"I'd like to stay here, with Marissa's parents, just in case there's a change." Ryan said, looking from one Cohen adult to the other. He didn't want to say in case Marissa got worse, but that was what they were all thinking.

Sandy looked at his wife and opened his mouth to say something, but Seth spoke before he could. "I'd like to stay too." He said, looking at Ryan, who nodded once, silently stating that he would be happy to have the company.

"Well, I guess there's no point in going home then." Sandy remarked. "If we're just going to have to come back in a couple of hours to get the two of you." He looked at Kristen, who didn't make a motion to disagree with his words. She was worried about Marissa as well, and wanted to be around in case anything did happen, good or bad.

"Where are Marissa's parents anyway?" Kristen questioned, as though she had yet to notice that the once-upon-a-time Coopers were no longer around.

Seth looked at his mother. "They went to the cafeteria, about twenty minutes ago." He answered, trying to urge his parents away without even realizing. He had to talk with Ryan and he wanted to do it in private.

Sandy could almost sense Seth's eagerness to be alone and said to his wife, "I could use something to eat myself. Plus, I want to here more about Marissa." He was interested in hearing more medical details about the girl, not things only a love-struck boyfriend would notice.

Kristen and Sandy left the teenagers in the lobby and headed toward the elevator, which would led them to the cafeteria, where they would do more talking then eating. Seth wasn't the only one who had some things to discuss in private.

Once his parents had gone, Seth turned to face his friend, who also seemed to be expecting something. "Can I ask you something?" He questioned, knowing that Ryan wouldn't refuse.

When Ryan nodded, Seth said, "Is it wrong to be thinking about Summer after I just broke up with Ana?" For a moment, Ryan considered his words then simply shrugged. "Lot of help you are, man." The other boy grumbled.

"Well," Ryan began, "I guess not because it didn't take an idiot to realize that even when you were with Ana all you were thinking was Summer. So no, I guess it's not wrong." He was not expert in the romance field but that seemed about right to him.

Seth nodded sagely, though he clearly wasn't finish with their heartfelt discussion. "Did Summer seem strange to you? I mean, after Oliver killed himself?" He was amazed at how lightly he could say those words, and shivered slightly. There was nothing light about what had happened.

"I wasn't really paying attention." Ryan admitted, though he doubted that would come as a surprise. His girlfriend had been shot, it was all right not to be attentive to every little detail. "What do you mean strange?" Summer had always seemed a tad bit strange to him.

Seth fumbled for the right words to explain what he had seen in the raven-haired girl's eyes. "I don't know, just...distance, upset, confused. Lost." He wondered if he was making the least bit of sense and hoped that Ryan would understand what he was trying to say.

"She just saw somebody shoot themselves." Ryan pointed out. "She was the right to be a little upset and confused."

Seth realized that he did have a point.

* * *

  


Ryan was flipping through a two year old sports magazine when Sandy, Kristen, Julie and Jimmy finally emerged from the second floor cafeteria, where they had spent the better part of two hours. Seth had fallen asleep since their talk about Summer and Ana and was snoring softly with his head leaned against the wall behind him and his legs sprawled out in front of him. Every so often he would stir, mumbling something unintelligible and resume snoring, leaving Ryan to wonder just went on inside his friend's head, not that he would be able to understand whether Seth was awake or asleep.

Kristen smiled lovingly at her son as she noticed him sleeping, now with a smile upon his face; she made no move to wake him but instead sat down beside him, picking up a magazine, a smile still on her face.

Ryan tossed the magazine aside and looked over at the Coopers, who were talking quietly with Sandy; Seth wasn't the only one in the waiting room asleep and they didn't want to disturb anyone if it wasn't necessary. "Do you think I can go visit Marissa again?" He questioned, looking mainly at Julie, who would be more likely to grant his request then her ex-husband.

It didn't take Julie long to consider. "If she's not asleep." It seemed doubtful to her that her daughter would be awake, after all the excitement and painkillers that her dripping into her system, but she didn't see any harm in letting Ryan check on the girl. She was going to do it herself in a few minutes anyway, he simply beat her to it.

Ryan smiled and headed out of the waiting room without another word; the hallway was empty for the moment, no concerned family members walking it to visit ailing patients at this hour. He did pass one nurse, who gave him a curious glance but said nothing to him, letting him continue to Marissa's room without problem.

The door to 180 was open, just as it had been when he had last visited Marissa and Ryan poked his head in first, curious to see if his girlfriend was awake or indeed asleep. Marissa was propped up on a mountain of pillows, staring out the window, her hands worrying the fabric of the stark white blanket that she had pulled up to her waist; she didn't appear to know she was being watched and Ryan stood in the doorway for a moment, simply staring at her. Her face was pale, making her dirty haystack hair stand on in contrast they way it never did; he could see the bandages wrapped around her waist, dots of blood speckling the white.

Marissa finally turned her head away from the window, looking almost startled to see Ryan standing in the foyer silently. She smiled, making her face look less gaunt and pale, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "Ryan. I was wondering when you were coming back." She said.

Ryan smiled as well, entering the room and pulling up a chair so that he could sit beside her. "You can't keep me away for long." He pointed out, taking her hand as he sat down. Marissa entwined her fingers with his and squeezed as tightly as she could at the moment; just having Ryan right there at the moment made her feel a little better. "How are you feeling?" He questioned.

Marissa shrugged, then winced. "As good as can be expected, since I've been shot." She toyed with the words as she spoke them. "I never thought I would say that." The words didn't sound as exciting as they always appeared on television or in the movies; she didn't feel like she bore any badge of courage, just a bullet hole.

"You're not in too much pain?" Ryan pressed, concern on his face. "'Cause I could get the nurse if you wanted."

Marissa shook her head. "There's a little, but I feel like I've been getting painkillers every fifteen minutes." She told him. "Truthfully, I can't really feel a lot down there." It was something she hadn't mentioned to the doctor or the nurse or her parents, not wanting to know just what that meant; she could wiggle her toes but couldn't really feel her legs but had managed to convince herself that it was simply the painkillers doing their job.

Ryan looked concerned but didn't say anything, for which Marissa was thankful. Before he had a chance to say anything about anything, she said, "Is Summer here? I haven't seen her since the penthouse."

"She's not here." Ryan told her, wishing he could say otherwise since he didn't like the pained look upon his girlfriend's face. "She wasn't feeling well, shaken up and stuff, so Ana took her home." On afterthought he added, "She'll be here tomorrow." He hoped that was true. Ryan hoped that whatever was bothering Summer would pass by tomorrow so that she could make it to the hospital.

Marissa nodded, pursing her lips; it wasn't like Summer not to have come to visit her already, she barely left her alone when she wasn't in the hospital. She lay her head back against the pillows, sighing wearily; she was exhausted, but too frightened and shook up to sleep for the time being. Marissa didn't trust herself to be able to close her eyes and not see the look on Oliver's face before he pulled the trigger, or what had happened when he had pulled the trigger on himself. She figured she was in for a lot of sleepless nights.

Ryan noticed her exhaustion. "You need some rest, I'll come back later after you've had some sleep." He offered, preparing to stand but stopping when Marissa tightened her grip on his hand.

"No, it's all right, you don't have to go." Marissa told him, looking into his eyes. "Stay a while and talk to me. Something's bothering you." She noted, seeing the shadows in his eyes.

Ryan sat back down as she instructed but remained silent for a moment; something was indeed bothering him, something he had mentioned to Seth or Sandy or anyone else. He simply stared down at her pale fingers for a long moment, trying to collect his thoughts as Marissa watched him silently. "I just...I can't help but think that you being in the hospital right now is somehow my fault." He muttered so low that Marissa almost didn't understand him.

"Ryan, why would you think something like that?" Marissa questioned, brow knitting in surprise. If anything, he had saved her from being even more hurt then she already was, he should consider himself somewhat of a hero.

He didn't look at her right away but when Ryan finally met her eyes, Marissa could see pain flickering in his dark eyes. "Oliver told me that if I came into the penthouse he was going to shoot you, but I didn't listen, I came in anyway." He answered, holding onto her hand tightly.

"After I had been shot." Marissa reminded him, reaching over and touching his cheek with her other hand. "You can't blame yourself for what Oliver did, Ryan, you saved my life. You're my hero." She smiled at her, a gesture that seemed to put him at ease.

Ryan leaned forward and kissed her gently, cupping her cheek in his hand; Marissa returned the kiss, her lips warm against his. The kiss was broken when someone standing in the doorway cleared their throat, causing Ryan to pull away from his girlfriend and look over toward the hallway.

Julie and Jimmy were standing in the foyer with a middle-aged doctor standing in front of him, arms crossed, clearly the one who had broken their kiss. Marissa blushed slightly, avoiding her parents' eyes for a moment, staring down at her lap and over at Ryan, who took his seat once again, his hand still in hers.

"I assume you're not a family member." The doctor said, without a trace of humor in his voice, getting a silent glare from Ryan. "Only family members can visit patients in the ICU ward."

Ryan couldn't help but glare at the man. "She's not just a patient, she's my girlfriend." He said, daring the doctor to say anything more.

Julie couldn't help but smile at the teenager's brash attitude and had to admire him for that trait as well; not everyone was so loose-lipped when it came to speaking their mind, after all. The doctor also seemed taken aback but quickly recovered himself. "Well, though that may be true, I have some private matters to discuss. With the family." He made a point of saying the last part.

For a moment, Marissa looked nervous, suddenly fearing the worse was to come from discussing these 'private matters.' "Whatever you have to say," she began as boldly as she could muster for all her sudden nervousness, "you can say it with Ryan here." She didn't want him to leave her, especially not now.

The doctor looked over at Julie and Jimmy for his next move, realizing he had lost the battle with Jimmy simply nodded, a signal for him to allow Ryan to stay. The Coopers entered the room and stood beside their daughter, Julie resting her hand upon Marissa's shoulder.

With a glance at Ryan, the doctor cleared his throat, flipping open the manila folder in his hands. "When the bullet struck Marissa, it lodged just above her hip, damaging many of the nerves around the area. X-rays have indicated that, though at this time we're not entirely certain, there is a high risk that Marissa might not be able to walk any longer."


	4. Darkness Before Dawn

Sorry it's been so long since the last update, but I've been recovering from some sort of flu-like illness and I've been busy with school work. Hopefully it won't take this long to get the next chapters up, thanks for the reviews!

Chapter Four

Darkness Before Dawn 

Seth jerked awake with a start, confused at first about where he was; the hospital waiting room was nearly empty, aside from himself and his parents, who had dozed off as well. He had been dreaming about Oliver, and Summer, about what had happened that afternoon; sometimes, he saw things the way they had really happened, but he had just woken from a dream that was nothing like reality. 

With a sigh, Seth shifted his weight, rolling his neck and trying to work out the tightness in his muscles. Judging by how dark it was outside, he decided it was hours after minute, at the time before dawn, when night was the darkest. Ryan was no where in sight, no doubt visiting Marissa again, her parents gone as well and he found himself slightly antsy, the way he often got when something was bothering him and there was no one to talk to. It was even worst since he couldn't put his finger on just what was bothering him, but he knew it had something to do with Summer, though not in relation to the fictional nightmare he had just suffered. 

Seth stood, stretching his arms above his shoulders and yawning, though he was no longer tired. He needed to get up, to be in motion, to do something other then watch his parents snore with their heads on each others shoulders. He decided to see if he could find a vending machine, or perhaps something interesting to take up his time with before Ryan returned from visiting Marissa. Or maybe he would visit her himself, he hadn't seen the girl since she had been shot, though the only problem with that thought was that he didn't know exactly where her room was. 

Regardless of this fact, Seth decided that wandering the quiet hospital hallways was the best way to past some time and get some thinking done. 

* * * 

Marissa stared at the doctor, eyes wide, uncomprehending as she let his words sink it; they were the sort of words that were said on a cheesy day time soap, with no business being in her life. Yet, they had been said, and she could sense some truth behind them; a part of her had known all along that her lack of feeling in her legs had been more then just the job of the pain killers. 

Ryan's grip on her hand tightened and both their knuckles turned white; he seemed unable to move, to breathe, to think of anything past what the doctor had said. The room was silent, with Jimmy looking lost and confused and Julie turning paler by the second, her fingers pressed against her thin lips, clearing trying to suppress a shock reaction. 

"You're sure?" Ryan finally forced himself to act, surprised that his vocal cords had remembered how to work. He felt like no other part of his body was working, including his heart, which seemed frozen in his chest. 

Marissa almost looked hopeful as she waited for the doctor's answer; the older man looked slightly uncomfortable and dropped his gaze to the folder in his hand. "Until we can run some more tests, there's no way to be hundred percent certain. However, the tests we've already taken do indicate extensive nerve damage." 

Now, Julie let out a semi-strangled scream and buried her face in her hands, her skin turning deathly white; Jimmy balled his hands into fists, pressing her nails into his palms until they left crescent shaped marks. He didn't seem to know what else to do. Marissa squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as possible, uncaring that hot tears trickled down her cheeks; Ryan was holding her hand so tightly that it ached but she made no move to stop him. That was at least one thing she could feel. 

Finally Ryan willed himself to speak. "And there's nothing you can do?" He questioned, looking at the doctor, hoping for the answer that he would hear wouldn't be the one he was dreading.

"Well, not nothing exactly." The doctor answered patiently, though he never liked giving the patients and their family false hope. "There are a few operations that might be able to repair the nerves and restore their ability to function." 

Marissa's eyes snapped open at his words and she looked at the man, her heart beginning to beat faster; she exhaled sharply, unaware that had been holding her breath until that moment. She was going to speak but her father beat her to it. "And these operations have helped other patients walk in the past?" He questioned, not looking over at his daughter. 

The doctor hesitated slightly. "In the past, the operations have been about fifty percent successful. And, of course, physical therapy after the operation is also very important." He paused again. "But if you want your daughter to walk again the operation is the only thing that will guarantee that that might happen." 

Marissa had always been very figuring out percentages and statistics in her various mathematical classes, so it didn't take her very long to figure out that fifty percent wasn't enough to even begin to get her hopes up. However, that was all the doctor's words seem to do, to allow her to see the light glimmering at the end of the dark tunnel she had suddenly been cast into. "I want to have this operation." Marissa was telling the doctor, not her parents, knowing that this was her decision to make, despite the fact that it would be their signatures on the consent forms. 

Julie looked over at her daughter, a torrent of emotions running through her body; she could see that Marissa's hopes had skyrocketed, despite the knowledge that there was only a fifty percent success rate. She wanted to point out that the operation might not work but she couldn't bring herself to do so; she needed the operation to work just as much as her daughter did. 

"Of course." The doctor said, as though he had expecting this all along, which he had. He had never met a patient that didn't want to regain the ability to walk again but he had met plenty that simply couldn't despite his best efforts. "It might take a while to schedule you in, for there are only a few doctors at this hospital that can perform this operation." He explained. 

Marissa nodded, her breathing returning to normal again; she was going to walk again, that she had already forced her mind to understand. She didn't have any alternative but to believe those words, didn't want to think about what would happen if they proved to be false. She was going to walk again. Believing anything else would drive her insane. 

After explaining how he was going to place her name upon a list of patients that needed similar or the same operation, the doctor ushered Marissa's parents out of the room so he could discuss further matters with them in private. As soon as they had gone, she shut her eyes tightly again and sighed deeply, leaning her head against the sea of pillows that she was propped upon, suddenly exhausted. 

Ryan simply sat silently for a moment, holding tightly to Marissa's hand and staring down at the floor, trying to collect himself and assure his mind that everything would be alright, that things would return to normal after Marissa underwent the operation. Finally, he said, "It's going to be all right, after the operation." He sounded more like he was assuring himself then his girlfriend. 

Marissa ran the fingers of her other hand through Ryan's hair, grateful that he was there. "I know." She said, though she didn't sound any more certain then he had. "I know." 

Ryan looked up finally, locking eyes with Marissa and managed to force a slight smile. "I love you." He told her, his voice so low that it was almost difficult for her to understand what he had said. He kissed her hand before leaning forward to kiss her lips, threading his fingers through her hair. 

Marissa wrapped her arms around his shoulders, tears filling her eyes as she hugged him, taking strength from his presence. She had to remind herself that it was going to be all right, that everything would be fine despite the way things looked right now. It was always darkest before dawn. 

* * * 

Seth felt like he had lived through the longest day of his life, felt as though just when it appeared to be almost over there will still more hours to fill, more hours to push through before a new day could begin. As he wandered around the hospital, he felt like dawn would never come, that Newport would be awash in darkness for the remainder of his life. The hours seemed to pass as slowly as the year did, and Seth felt like being in the hospital was like being in a place where time ticking along differently, where it didn't seem to pass at all. 

But, finally, after he had finishing making his hundredth (it seemed) lap of the entire building, Seth could begin to see the first rays of the sun peeking through the gray clouds that hung near the horizon. He wished that he could take some comfort in seeing the sun begin to rise, he wished he could think that everything would turn out all right and brand new like the day but that wasn't true. Things were still the same, Marissa was still recovering from being shot, Oliver was still dead and he was still single; those things had simply carried on the next morning. 

Seth returned to the waiting room, not surprised to see that Ryan still hadn't emerged from Marissa's room; his friend had undoubtedly fallen asleep next to Marissa, an image of perfect romance that almost made him sick. Sometimes being in love was just too much. 

Not that he would know anything about being in love at the moment, though he was beginning to believe that he was falling in love with Summer (just as he had done so many times before) since she was the only thing he could think about. Well, Summer and an assortment of things that had to do with Summer that couldn't be mentioned in the presence of churchgoers or small children. But he was still thinking about Summer just the same. 

As he had been traveling the hospital hallways, Seth had been counting off the minutes and hours until they had reached a decent hour so that he actually call Summer and see if she was all right and if she wanted to come down to the hospital and visit Marissa. And, of course, himself. Though the sun was rising, Seth somehow managed to keep himself from rushing to a pay phone and dialing the raven-haired girl's number right that very second because she was no doubt still asleep, seeing as how it was only six-o-five. 

Seth could wait a little while longer before calming heading over to a pay phone and calling Summer. After all, it wasn't more then five minutes until six-o-ten. 

* * * 

Unbeknownst to Seth, Summer had never drifted off to sleep that night, and was still awake a six-o-five, watching the sun rise from the window in her bedroom, where she been since Ana had dropped her off hours ago. She had tried to sleep, tried to do anything but pace around her room and think about Marissa and Oliver. Though Marissa was her best friend, her thoughts had been mainly occupied by the boy, more specifically the way he had killed himself. 

Every time she shut her eyes, Summer could see the bullet shattering Oliver's skull, could see his corpse and the blood that had pooled on the carpet around the gore that the bullet had left behind. She saw these images even when she didn't have her eyes closed and found no way to stop them. They were like home movies from Hell with no pause or stop button. 

And so, Summer had sat on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs, just as she had when she was a little kid, afraid of the dark, and stared at the blank wall in front of her, wishing that she could see white paint instead of the mental images of Oliver and of the blood on the back of her best friend's tee-shirt. 

After a while, she had moved off her bed to stand by her window, watching the dead night outside, which had finally been chased away by the rising sun. That was where Summer stood when her phone began to ran, startling her so much that she jumped and her heart had begun to beat like a bass drum. She turned away from the window to study the ringing telephone, certain that it would be Seth or someone of the like calling to check on her, to talk to her. 

Summer wasn't in the mood to talk, to anyone, not even Marissa so turned away and listened to the phone continue to ring, going unanswered. To her, dawn had yet to arrive. 


	5. Between the Black and White

Chapter Five 

Between the Black and White

Sandy and Kirsten were carrying Styrofoam cups of coffee back from the cafeteria when Ryan finally emerged from Marissa's room, looking more exhausted then he had when he had first gone to visit her. He gratefully accepted the lukewarm cup Kirsten offered to him and slumped down in one of the plastic seats beside Seth, silently sipping and staring ahead of him. 

"So, how's Marissa?" Sandy questioned, seeing as that was the only thing he could ask. He knew something was wrong the moment his ward had entered the waiting room, he just hoped it wasn't as bad as all the possibilities that were running through his head. 

Ryan was silent, staring down into the brown liquid in the soft cup, thinking of just how to answer that. How was Marissa? She wasn't dead, that was the only thing he could think of to say; she's not dead but she might not walk again. So, he didn't answer, simply reminded staring past the cup and to his feet. 

"Ryan?" Sandy pressed, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder, almost startling him enough to make him drop the cup he was holding so tightly. 

Sighing, the teenager set the cup on the ground beside his feet and stood up, running his fingers through his hair. "I need to take a walk." He muttered, heading out of the waiting room and through the sliding doors, which whooshed open to let him through. 

Ryan paced around the parking lot, walking along the edges of the sidewalk like he had done when he was a kid; all he could think about was Marissa, and how pale and small she had looked beneath the white bedcovers. How frightened she had looked when she had heard the doctor's diagnosis. He thought about how frightened he was and how he couldn't let it show, not in front of Marissa or anyone else; he had always been the strong one, and now it was slowly killing. 

He was taking his third lap around the parking lot when he became aware that someone was walking up behind him. Ryan turned, expecting to see Seth or perhaps even Sandy trailing after him, and was surprised to see Kirsten heading through the empty parking spaces toward him. Ryan almost turned away from her, wondering if he could continue walking like he hadn't seen her, because he didn't want to talk, wasn't at all interested in what words of sympathy she had to offer him. But Kirsten had been more of a mother to him in the past few months then his own mother had even been, so he owed her the decency to hear what she had to say. 

"Hey kiddo." She greeted him with a smile, taking a seat on the concrete wall that surrounded a planting bed filled with damp mulch and wilted flowers. Ryan couldn't help but smile slightly, no one had called him 'kiddo' since he had been five years old. "Anything you want to talk about?" 

Ryan shook his head. "No, I'm good." He wasn't really, but talking had never come easy to him and he was certain that Kirsten knew that. 

Kirsten didn't say anything, regarding him in the rising sunlight, which did nothing to hide the shadows in his eyes. "Is everything all right with Marissa? I haven't had a chance to visit her yet." She patted the spot on the wall beside her, an indication that Ryan could feel free to take a seat next to her. 

After a moment's pause, Ryan sat beside the woman, resting his chin in his palms and sighing deeply again. "No, everything's not all right." He said, feeling the desire to tell someone what the doctor has said before Julie and Jimmy Cooper did so themselves. 

"Why? What's wrong?" Kirsten looked more concerned then she had earlier, which he found touching. It was almost as though Marissa was her daughter and, in some ways, -ways that he, himself, would never be able to understand- she was. 

Another sigh, another pause. "The doctor said that there's a chance that she might not walk again, she needs an operation to repair nerves or something." Ryan explained, his words coming out in a rush. "And even then, the results are only fifty percent successful." 

Now it was Kirsten's turn to silently stare in front of her, too surprised to move or speak, just as he had been earlier; those were the sort of words she had only heard on a soap opera and had never expected to hear spoken in relation to someone she had known almost as long as she had known her own child. She couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't sound stupid or superficial so she remained silent, just as Ryan had done earlier. 

Ryan appreciated her silence because he wasn't ready to hear words of comfort just yet; it was Marissa who needed those words anyway, not himself, but, either way, he wasn't ready for them. 

And so, Ryan and Kirsten sat in silence on the cold, concrete wall that surrounded a dead planting bed until the automatic sprinklers that were still set to water the dead plants sprang to life and chased them, laughing despite everything, into the parking lot. Kirsten smiled slightly and draped her arm around Ryan's shoulder and gave him a motherly squeeze. "Don't worry, everything will work out, you'll see." She assured him. 

"Everyone always says that." Ryan muttered. "But how do you really know?" It seemed like a strange, almost childish question but he couldn't help but ask. 

Kirsten thought about his question for a moment and didn't answer until they had stepped through the automatic doors once again. "Sometimes, you don't really know, but you have to have faith that everything will be all right. Most of the time faith is the only thing that really keeps us from going completely crazy." She left him to return to her spot beside her husband, hoping that what she had said had helped him along a little. And, judging by the more alive look in his eyes that she could see when he sat down again, her words had given him the push he had needed.

Ryan was nursing his coffee, while Kirsten whispered to Sandy, when Seth reentered the waiting room, looking upset and flustered. "Summer didn't answer the phone." He said before he even sat down. "Do you think there's something wrong?" He now looked worried then anything else. 

"Son, did it ever occur to you that she didn't answer because it's not even six thirty?" Sandy questioned, looking over at the teenager, who sat down beside Ryan. 

Seth looked like this fact hadn't occurred to him and he remained silent, though he still looked nervous. Ryan couldn't but shake his eye and roll his eyes at his friend's behavior, but he remained silent as well; he wasn't ready to tell Seth about Marissa and figured that Kirsten would do that for him. 

They were still sitting in silence when Jimmy and Julie came into the waiting room, looking more tired and haggard then Ryan and slumped down into seats opposite each other. Kirsten gave Julie a comforting glance and placed a hand on her shoulder. "So, how's Marissa?" She questioned gently. 

Julie sighed wearily. "I don't want to talk about it right now." She mumbled and shut her eyes. She looked twenty years older then she had only hours ago, with wrinkles around her eyes and a sorrow shadowed her face. She was certain that Ryan had already told Kirsten and Sandy about her daughter, but that didn't mean that she felt the desire to hash everything up again. She and Jimmy had been talking to the different doctors in the hospital about Marissa's operation and they had all said the same things: the operation was only fifty percent successful, no guarantees. 

Sandy looked at the worn faces in the waiting room and realized just how exhausted they all were; they needed a break before Seth drove them all crazy talking about Summer and Ryan, Julie and Jimmy's pained expressions make him feel even worse then he already did. Plus, hospitals gave him the creeps. 

"What do you say we go to a diner and get some breakfast?" Sandy offered, his gaze traveling from his son to his wife and then to the ward of his house. "I think we could all use a break." 

At first, Ryan thought about saying no, but figured he wouldn't believed by the way his stomach growled at the mention of breakfast. Despite his hunger, he didn't feel right about leaving Marissa; what if something happened and she needed him, only to find that he wasn't around. 

"I'm in." Seth voiced, his stomach rumbling just as loudly as Ryan's had. He hadn't eaten anything since the ice cream he had had right before they had left to go rescue Marissa from the gun-wielding Oliver. 

Ryan and Marissa's parents weren't as easily convinced but Sandy and Kirsten managed to wield them into going by pointing out that eating the hospital food might put them in the hospital as well. 

The diner a few blocks away from the hospital was open twenty-four hours and it was easy for them to find a booth big enough so that they could all sit together; Ryan sat closest to the window and gazed out at the street beyond, which was slowly becoming crowded with cars and people on their way to their respective jobs. Once upon a time, he had been as carefree as those people appeared to be, when everything was all right between him and Marissa and it seemed like things would stay the same forever. _Where did everything go wrong? _He questioned, wishing that he could go back and make everything all right again. 

Seth handed him a menu and offered him a friendly smile. "Don't worry man, Marissa's going to be fine." He told his friend, reminding Ryan that he didn't know that Marissa might never walk again. All he could do was nod and flip open the laminated menu. 

The conversation that floated around the booth was simply nothing more then a few words to keep silence from settling in. No one mentioned Marissa or Oliver or anything related to the events of the past day; Ryan ordered pancakes, which were Marissa's favorite, simply so he could sneak some back to the hospital for her. Despite how hungry he was earlier, he only managed to eat half a pancake and some of Seth's hash browns; all he could think about was Marissa and the impending operation and that took away his appetite. 

Only Seth managed to eat more then was on his plate, despite how worried he was about Summer, and even managed to eat some of his mother's eggs and bacon. After listening to Sandy and Jimmy try to talk about the restaurant they were starting together, Ryan excused himself in order to head back to the hospital, taking the pancakes, which he had wrapped in a napkin, with him. Seth left moments later to use the payphone to call Summer once more, ignoring his father's glare that clearly said 'you should be calling Ana' and went to the back of the restaurant. 

Seth fished fifty cents out of his pocket and fed it into the payphone, punching in the number's to Summer's private line, which he long since memorized. The phone rang three times before Summer answered, sounding blank, which Seth mistook for sounding tired; he didn't seem to pick up on the hollowness in her voice. 

"Hey, Summer, it's me." He told her. "How are you doing?" He was honestly concerned and hoped that the dark-haired girl wouldn't dismiss him with a sharp-tongued comment. 

For a moment, the line was silent before the girl could bring herself to answer. "I'm fine. How are you?" She questioned, not sounding at all like the Summer that he had once known. 

Seth chose not to answer her question. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to the hospital later and see Marissa, she's been asking for you." He said instead, knowing that this was true because Ryan had mentioned it. "We're all still there, too." 

Summer sighed almost inaudibly. "Maybe later." She answered lightly, as though he had asked her if she wanted to go to the movies or mow the grass. "I'll take to you later, Seth." 

She hung up the phone before he had a chance to say anything and for a good minute, Seth stood in the back of the restaurant, staring stupidly down at the phone. He would have stood like the longer if a woman hadn't come up behind him, asking if he was done so she could use the payphone. He returned back to the booth, where his parents and Marissa's parents were gathering up the leftovers into a Styrofoam take-out box and frowned. 

"I think something's wrong with Summer." Seth said, speaking more to his mother, who appeared to be more receptive about the whole break-up with Ana then his father was. "She called me Seth and she never calls me that." Kirsten didn't look like she knew what to say, so she remained silent. 

Julie closed one of the boxes she held and looked up at the Cohen boy. "Did she say she was coming by to visit Marissa today? Marissa would really like to see her." She questioned, looking hopeful, as though a visit from Summer would solve all of their problems. 

"She's probably going to come." Seth answered, not having the heart to describe the strange way Summer had answered his question. "If she can get a ride." 

Julie just nodded and followed her ex-husband toward the front of the restaurant. The Cohens followed suit, gathering up the rest of the boxes and paying their share of the check. As they left the Standard Diner, Jimmy inserted an odd assortment of change into a _Newport Daily Journal _newspaper dispenser and pulled out today's issue. He flipped through the metro section while they headed to Sandy's car. 

"There's an obituary for Oliver in the paper today." Jimmy remarked, looking up from the print. "It sees a memorial service is being held for him tonight." Seth frowned slightly at his words. No one asked to see the obituary and Jimmy tossed the entire paper into the wastebasket; he wasn't interested in reading about any of the other problems in the world. None of them seemed as important as the problems with his daughter. 

* * * 

Marissa was still asleep when Ryan returned, holding the soggy pancakes as though they were a cure-all; he silently sat down in the seat beside her and seat the breakfast food on the table beside the bed. Marissa looked so angelic when she slept, he noticed, with her eyelashes brushing gently against her cheeks and her lips curled in a slight smile. 

Suddenly, she stirred, as though she sensed someone watching her and her eyes fluttered upon; her smile became more definite when she saw who was sitting beside her. "Hey Ryan." Marissa greeted. "Have you been there all night?" 

Ryan shook his head, though he felt guilty about doing so. "No, I went to breakfast with Sandy, Kirsten, Seth and your parents." He answered, handing her the pancakes. "I saved these for you." 

Marissa unwrapped the food and smiled brightly, her eyes filling with tears at his generosity, his thoughtfulness. "I knew those are your favorite so..." Ryan trailed off and smiled, looking somewhat sheepish. 

Setting the pancakes aside, Marissa leaned over and kissed her boyfriend deeply, wondering why she didn't trust him about Oliver, why she hadn't believed him. No part of this wonderful person would ever hurt her or have any desire to do, why hadn't she seen that before. Sometimes there was more to the world then met the eye, more then just black and white, Marissa suddenly realized, and the best things and the hardest things to see lay between the black and white. 

Ryan smiled when the kiss was broken. "I should bring you breakfast more often." He grinned, and Marissa even managed to smile as well. It was so easy to pretend that there was nothing wrong during moments like this and she wished that she didn't have to pretend any longer. 

Marissa was eating her soggy pancakes, listening to Ryan relate some story or other that had been told at breakfast, when Seth entered the room, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "My parents wanted me to give this to you." He said by way of explanation, handing the wrapped flowers to the bedridden girl, who took them with a smile. 

"Tell your parents thank you." Marissa said, sniffing the flowers and cradling them in her lap beside her breakfast. 

Seth pulled up a chair and sat beside Ryan. "So, the paper said that a memorial service for Oliver is going to be held tonight." He said, not quite sure if the knowledge would help that matter any but somehow, it seemed very important that Ryan and Marissa know as well. 

Marissa studied Seth for a moment before gazing past him, thinking about what he had just said. After a few minutes had passed she said, "I want to go to the service." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, thanks again for the reviews but where's the turnout that I got with the first chapter? C'mon you guys, show me some love, my muse needs it desperately. I love you all! 


	6. The Getaway

Boy, it's been a while since I updated this story huh? I just keep getting reviews so I guess I'll keep writing; sorry it took so long to start this back up again. Anyway, thanks to all the people who reviewed this story during its hiatus. Keep it up! 

Chapter Six 

The Getaway 

Ryan was more then a little shocked to hear Marissa's words; he almost asked her to repeat them but knew that he'd hear the same thing again. How could Marissa want to go to the service of the person that had shot and almost killed her, that had possibly paralyzed her for life? It didn't make much sense to him. 

"What?" Seth questioned, so that Ryan didn't have to. "You want to go to Oliver's service?" 

Marissa nodded. "Yes." She saw the questioning look on Ryan's face and said, "I don't really know why but it just seems like something I have to do." 

"Absolutely not." The stern voice that came from out in the hallway was unexpected and caused them all to turn in the direction of the speaker. Julie was standing in the doorway, a _Get Well Soon _balloon in one hand and a surprised but firm look on her face. "You will not go to that service and even if I thought it would be helpful or healing in some way, you're in the hospital Marissa. You're temporarily paralyzed. Going anywhere is out of the question." 

Marissa glared at her mother. "I want to go." She said just as firmly as her mother had spoken. "I don't think I need your permission." 

Seth looked surprised, gazing back and forth between mother and daughter. "What? I'm sorry, paralyzed?" He repeated, growing more shocked with each word that escaped his lips. "You're paralyzed Marissa?" 

Julie answered before the girl he was addressing had a chance to. "The doctors here are going to perform an operation later this week; Marissa will be able to walk again after that." She sounded so sure and definite that it was almost impossible to believe what she was saying. Even Marissa knew there was a chance that the operation wouldn't work and pretending that everything was going to be normal again wasn't the best way to go as far as she was concerned. 

Seth didn't look convinced either but he remained silent, looking at Marissa again before gazing down at his feet. Marissa was like a sister to him, he couldn't imagine what it would be like if she was never able to walk again; he also couldn't imagine how she was feeling right now. 

"Anyway, Marissa, the service is out of the question." Julie continued primly and entered the room, the balloon bouncing behind her. "You can go out sometime after you're better." Julie tied the balloon to the back of one of the chairs and smiled at her daughter. 

Marissa didn't return the smile, continuing to hold Ryan's hand as she listened to her mother talk about some sort of nonsense involving Caleb. Everything that came out of her mother's mouth lately seemed like nonsense as far as she was concerned. 

* * * 

When Julie finally left, Marissa couldn't have been more relieved. Immediately, she turned to look at Seth and Ryan, who looked like they were half asleep with boredom after listening to the Amazing Julie Cooper talk for the better part of an hour. "I'm going to Oliver's service." She told them. "And I'm doing it with or without your help." She paused, almost sheepishly. "And since I can't feel my legs, with would be a little easier." 

Seth looked at the girl. "You heard your mom, Marissa, you shouldn't be up." He told her. "It could make things worse." Unlike Julie, who only forbad her daughter to go because she could, Seth looked genuinely worried about her condition. 

Marissa was touched by his concern but that didn't dissuade her from her 'mission'. She looked instead at Ryan, who only sighed. "So, how are you planning this jail break?" He questioned wearily, already seeming to have made up his mind. 

A smile spread across Marissa's face. "Well, I haven't actually worked out the details but we can think of something." She answered. 

Seth sighed and shook his head. "I guess I can't convince you two to change your minds, huh?" He muttered. There was no answer, it wasn't required. "First we have to find a way to get Marissa out of the hospital." He pointed out, giving them the first step of their plan. 

"Well, that's easy." Marissa chimed in, pleased to have the support of two of her best friends. "There's gotta be a wheelchair around here somewhere." 

Ryan looked over at Marissa. "If your parents or Seth's see us, then we'll never make it out. I've snuck out of the house enough times to know how to get around parents." 

Seth looked over at him. "Our house? Have you snuck out of our house?" He questioned. Ryan didn't answer, he didn't really see the point. "'Cause every time I try to sneak out I always get caught. Is there some method I don't know about?" He was looking at Ryan intently. "Dude, you've got to teach me this method." 

Ryan rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Maybe later. Now we've got to find a wheelchair and the easiest way out of here." He stood and leaned over to kiss Marissa. "We'll be back soon." 

Seth followed Ryan out of the room, still attempting to pump him about the Great Escape Method and Marissa watched them go. When she was alone, it was harder for her to put on a brave face, to smile and laugh and pretend that being unable to feel her legs didn't bother her at all. But with no one to witness her act, she didn't feel the need to put it on anymore. Marissa covered her face as she began to cry, something she hadn't allowed herself to do since she arrived at the hospital. Crying didn't solve anything and it didn't even make her feel better but at least she could feel something and she was prepared to take all that she could get at the moment. 

* * * 

"Do you think it's weird that Summer hasn't come down to visit? Or that she hasn't called lately? Or that-" Seth continued as he and Ryan headed down the hallway, stopping when Ryan whirled to face him. 

"Seth, shut up about Summer. Please." He snapped, a little more harshly then he intended. "She'll come when she's ready, she'll call when she's ready. Okay, man?" Seth nodded and they started down the hallway again. 

They walked in silence for a moment before Seth looked up from where he had been counting the tiles and said, "I'm just worried about her, you know?" 

Ryan sighed and clapped Seth on the back. "Yeah, man, I know." He thought about Marissa and how he tried not to think about her not being able to walk; it broke his heart to see the sorrow in her eyes, the pain that should never have had to be there. If he could go back and do everything over with Oliver, he realized he would have let him be arrested by the cops and go to jail for buying and selling drugs. Things were have turned out much better if he had. 

"The operation's going fix Marissa." Seth remarked, wishing he sounded as falsely sure as Julie had sounded earlier. "You'll see." 

Ryan didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. 

* * * 

Ryan and Seth finally returned with a stolen wheelchair, which they had taken from outside on the rooms and so Seth was certain that there was going to be so poor old man who couldn't visit his darling grandchildren because of them, half an hour before Oliver's service was set to begin. Marissa had cried herself out by that time and had managed to resume her chipper face and was throwing balled up pieces of napkin at the _Get Well _balloon to make it sway. Entertainment was hard to come by when one was stuck in a hospital bed. 

Marissa smiled when they entered. "Ta-da!" Seth proclaimed with a flourish as Ryan pushed the wheelchair into the room. Ryan smiled at his girlfriend as he wheeled the chair over to the right side of the bed, where the metal guards could be raised and lowered. 

"Sorry it took so long, we had to go to each floor to try and find the wheelchair and every time we stopped Seth had to call Summer." Ryan said by way of explanation and, judging by the sheepish look on Seth's face, what Ryan said was true. 

Marissa smiled slightly at Seth before asking, "Where is Summer?" She wanted to ask something else, wanted to know why her best friend hadn't come to visit her. Had she really hurt her that bad by blowing her off all those times? 

Ryan and Seth looked at each other before both looking back at Marissa. "Err, she wasn't home." Seth answered. "I kept trying but she never picked up the phone. She said earlier that she was probably going to come visit you today, though, so maybe she's on her way." He didn't think that was the case however. Something told him that Summer was home, she just hadn't been in the mood to answer the phone. 

"Oh." Marissa mumbled but she knew that what Seth said wasn't true. It was too late for Summer to come visit her now but she wasn't ready to admit it to herself or verbally. Instead, she decided to concentrate on what was going on at the moment and getting to Oliver's service. 

Ryan lowered the metal grates on the side of the bed. "All right, Marissa, let's get you out of here." He muttered and paused as he studied the IV tube attached to her arm. "I guess we'll just have to take that with us." He motioned to the metal pole that was standing beside the bed. 

Marissa untangled the clear tubing from around her arm and straightened it out in preparation for moving into the wheelchair. She pulled herself into a sitting position and tried to turn in the direction of the chair but found her legs almost impossibly heavy to move. 

"Do you want some help?" Ryan questioned, face creased with worry. He leaned forward to give her a hand but she shook her head dismissively. 

"No." Marissa said firmly. "I got it." She tried again to pull herself forward, dragging her now useless legs along after her. She hated the way she felt right now, the helplessness of being unable to even pull herself out of bed. Marissa leaned forward too far and nearly fell out of the bed and would have if Ryan hadn't caught her by the shoulders. Sharp pain sliced through her body but she bit her tongue to keep from crying out. 

"Jeez Marissa." Seth muttered, running his fingers through his hair, as he exhaled. "I knew this was a bad idea." He headed over to where they were standing, praying that there wouldn't be any more near misses. 

Ryan didn't say anything as he scooped Marissa out of bed, being careful of the IV tubing and gently lowered her into the wheelchair. She liked being in his arms, it made her feel safe, and for that brief moment, she had no doubt that things would turn out all right. 

But the moment was over too soon and reality came crashing back down on her; the reality that she was in a wheelchair because she couldn't move her legs and that she was heading to the service for the person that she had once considered her friend and had almost killed her. Sometimes life was just too crazy for her to make sense out of. 

"Are we ready?" Seth questioned. "No more falls or trips or tangles or anything? No more injuries or-" Marissa cut him off. 

"No. We're ready." She said, though she really appreciated the big-brother concern he was showing for her. 

Seth headed toward the door and then stopped. "Well, I'm glad because here come your parents Marissa." He remarked and Marissa's face got a little paler. 

"Okay, we can't let them see us." Marissa said and a smile spread across her face. "It's like a jail break!" She exclaimed happily and her cheeks reddened when Ryan looked down at her. "Sorry, way too many made-for-cable movies." 

Seth shut the door and locked it, much to the surprise of the others in the room. "What? Marissa's not the only one that watches the cable movies." He muttered by way of explanation. "Now we have to use one of the spoons from lunch to tunnel through the floor down to the bottom level." 

"Or," Ryan started, rolling his eyes. "We could just explain to your parents that you really need to go to the service and-" 

"No." Seth interjected. "No, that's boring. That's not _The Great Escape, _that's not even _The Rock. _Where's the spice Ryan? Where's the excitement?" 

Ryan rolled his eyes for the second time in so many minutes. "I've had enough excitement to last me a life time, thank you." He muttered. He was going to say more but the door handle rattled and Julie started pounding on the door. 

"Marissa! You unlock this door right now!" She shouted and Marissa narrowed her eyes. 

"Oh sure, Mom, I'll just walk right over there and do it." She muttered to herself, her words drowned out by the pounding on the door. 

Ryan looked over at Seth. "Open the door man." He said, trying to ignore the disappointed look on Seth's face and the hurt one on Marissa's. Seth unlocked the door and opened it, just as he had been asked and had to step back immediately to avoid getting slammed in the face as Julie stormed in. 

She took one look at her daughter in the wheelchair and looked up at Ryan, the look on her face clearly blaming him for everything that was happening. "What is going on here?" Julie snapped, still looking at Ryan. "What do you think you're doing with my daughter?" 

"I know I should have asked you first, Ms. Cooper, but I really wanted to show Marissa around the hospital, you know, give her a change of scenery." Ryan explained and Marissa had to bite the insides to her lips to keep from laughing. "She's been cooped up in her for a while." 

Jimmy saw the look on his daughter's face and smiled as well, stepping into the room. "I don't see the harm, Julie." He remarked. "Change of scenery never hurt anyone." 

"Thanks Dad." Marissa said and Ryan took that as his cue to start wheeling her out of the room before Julie could realize what was really going on and cause a scene. Seth followed after them and smiled as he disappeared out of the room. 

Julie narrowed her eyes as she watched the teenagers disappear. Though no one had ever accused her of being the smartest girl in New Port, she had also never been accused of being the stupidest and it didn't take her long to put two and two together. "They're going to Oliver's service after all." She snapped. "Those little brats." Jimmy looked over at her. "With the exception of Marissa, of course." 

"What are you talking about?" Jimmy questioned, staring at his ex-wife with the same sort of confusion that he often regarded her with. 

Julie sighed. "I didn't think that going to Oliver's service would be very helpful to Marissa." She explained, almost as though she was talking to a dimwitted child. "Since she still hasn't recovered from the accident-" Jimmy cut her off. 

"Maybe you should be a little bit more concerned about your daughter's health." He snapped, tired of hearing her recite some strange physiological bullshit. "There's a reason that's on bed rest." He pushed past Julie and headed out the door and into the hallway. He could see Ryan and Seth heading down the hallway with Marissa in tow, the IV pole tagging alongside the chair and Sandy and Kirsten, who were heading toward the room with another bouquet of flowers and a stuffed teddy bear. 

"Marissa!" Jimmy shouted and everyone in the hallway turned in his direction, with the exception of the teenagers in question. "Marissa, wait!" If anything, Ryan sped up a little. 

Sandy approached Jimmy with an interested look on his face. "What's going on?" He questioned, looking down the hallway and seeing the kids trying to make a getaway. 

"Your son and Ryan are basically kidnapped my daughter and taking her to Oliver's service." Julie answered, seeming only happy to be the parent only when it allowed her to snap at people and puff around like a flustered hen. 

Kirsten and Sandy took a closer look down the hallway. "I'm sure that's not exactly what's going on." Sandy remarked. "We'll just ask them. Seth!" His son winced and turned around. 

"Great, now my parents are going to catch us, flog us and put us in isolation." Seth remarked and Ryan looked over at him. "All right, too many prison movies." 

Marissa turned her head to peer behind her and couldn't help but smile. "Just keep going." She remarked. "We'll be back before they...notice we're gone." She trailed off, realizing she didn't make much sense. "I need to get out of here for a while." 

With a sigh, Ryan did as she asked, continuing to push her toward the elevator. "See, that is what I call kidnapping!" Julie huffed and gestured toward the teenagers. "I suggest you do something about this." 

Sandy tried not to roll his eyes as he looked over at Jimmy, who looked more concerned then Julie did. "The doctors said that Marissa shouldn't move too much before the accident, because she could further damage the injury. Then the operation much not be as effective." 

At his words, Sandy called out his son's name again and started down the hallway; Jimmy followed suit and Kirsten after him. With a sigh, Julie headed down the hallway as well, simply because she wasn't sure what else to do. 

Ryan, Marissa and Seth entered the elevator and the doors began to slide shut just as Sandy and Jimmy arrived. "Marissa, wait!" Jimmy implored as he tried to reach the doors before they closed all the way shut. 

"We'll be back soon Dad." Marissa promised as the doors slid shut and separated parent and daughter once again. 

Jimmy slammed his fist against the closed doors. "Damn!" He snapped.

The elevator cart was grinding toward the bottom level and the occupants of the cart didn't hear Jimmy's shout as they started their decent. Ryan sighed and leaned against the wall, wondering if he had really done the right thing; what if getting out wasn't the best thing for Marissa at the moment? And even if it was, was going to Oliver's service the best place to go? 

"I feel like Al Capone." Seth remarked and Marissa rolled her eyes. 

Even though she had wanted to get out of the hospital, Marissa found that she had a sinking feeling in her heart. Was she really doing the right thing? She'd have to find out. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, here's another chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what parts from the show you'd want to see in this story; I already have some ideas but I'm trying to figure out if I want to include the Luke and Julie thing and all that. Just let me know! 


	7. Funeral for a Friend

Thanks for the reviews so far; in reference to the review I got about them breaking Marissa out of an institution, I haven't seen that episode. Sorry about that. Anyway, thanks for the reviews, keep 'em coming! 

Chapter Seven 

Funeral for a Friend 

The elevator doors screeched open and revealed the bottom level of Lakeview Hospital, which was bustling with patients waiting for checkups and nurses and doctors trying to make sure they got them. No one paid any attention to Ryan as he wheeled Marissa out of the elevator with Seth tagging behind. Patients in wheelchairs were a common sight in a hospital, after all. 

"I'm glad that we completed the rescue mission and all but, how are we going to get to the service?" Seth questioned as they headed for the front door. 

This was question none of them had put too much thought into. It was true that Sandy's car was in the parking lot, but they didn't have the keys to get it started; it would also be rather difficult to get Marissa on a city bus and plus, they didn't have enough change for the fare. 

"Where is the service?" Ryan questioned, hoping that Seth would remember since he hadn't been there to see the newspaper announcing the service. 

Seth blanked for a moment; Marissa rolled her eyes and Ryan already started with a somewhat nasty remark when he said, "Oh, it's at the Hillcrest Memorial Home." He smiled, proud of himself. "See, I'm not completely useless." 

Marissa smiled slightly at the dark-haired boy but they didn't have the time for her to assure him that he was anything but useless and all the stuff you said to someone in that situation. "Ryan, I know you can hotwire a car." She said instead. "I'm sure my mom won't mind if we borrow her car." 

Ryan frowned. "I'd rather not go to jail, Marissa." He remarked. "There's got to be another way to get there." 

Marissa looked over at Seth. "We could call Ana, she has a car." She pointed out. Seth shifted uncomfortably but Ryan stopped him before he could say anything. 

"Why don't you give her a call." He suggested and when Seth looked stunned, he motioned for the boy to come over to him so he could speak without Marissa over hearing. "C'mon man, for some reason this is really important to Marissa." He whispered. 

Marissa tried to listen to what they were saying but they were standing too far away; there was something going on and she wanted to know what but now didn't seem like the best time to press either of them about it. Judging by the look on Seth's face, it wasn't something good. 

Seth finally agreed; Marissa was like his sister, he would do anything for her. "All right. Give me a minute." He relented, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "But you're paying for any therapy I might need after this conversation." 

Ryan didn't say anything in response to his words and walked back over to where Marissa was sitting, trying not to act like she was doing her hardest to eavesdrop. He noticed she looked a little paler then she had earlier and he knelt down in front of her. "Are you all right?" He questioned, taking her hand in his. 

"I'm fine." Marissa offered him a wane smile. "Just a little tired. Must be all the painkillers." Ryan didn't look convinced and she cupped his cheek with her fingers. "Ryan, I'm fine. I promise." But she wasn't quite sure that she was absolutely fine; she was tired, that much was true, but she was feeling sort of shaky and her hips were beginning to ache and she knew she had no doubt pulled some stitches when she had nearly fallen from her bed. But Ryan didn't need to know any of that. 

Seth had his back turned to the couple and was oblivious to their discussion; his heart sped up every time the phone rang and part of him prayed that Ana wasn't home. Just as he was about to hang up, she answered the phone, her voice just as chipper, light and lovely as he had always remembered it. "Hello?" She answered. 

"Uh, hey Ana, it's me. Seth." The boy stuttered and he could sense that Ana's mood had changed. 

"What do you want Seth?" She questioned and Seth winced. This was not how he pictured this conversation to go at all; it wasn't like he pictured her to be overjoyed to hear from him but he didn't expect her to sound like she was ready to send the firing squad after him either. 

"Uh," Seth muttered, "I actually have a favor to ask you." Ana was silent, waiting for him to lay the deal out for her. "I'm here with Ryan and Marissa, we're at the hospital, and Marissa wants to go to Oliver's service but we don't have a car so-" 

Ana cut him off. "So you wanted to know if I could drive you." She snapped. "Why don't you get your parents to drive you?" She didn't ask how Marissa was doing and that didn't escape Seth's attention; he knew she was really mad him now. 

"Yeah, I would." Seth muttered. "But we kinda took Marissa out of the hospital and they didn't really like it." He lowered his voice. "Ana, Marissa might not ever be able to walk again and this is really important to her. I know I hurt you and you know I wouldn't be calling unless it was really important." 

Ana was silent for a long time and Seth wondered if she had hung up on him. But finally she said, "What? Marissa might not be able to walk anymore? That's impossible." He had gone through the same state of denial and didn't want to talk Ana out of her words. Seth still clung to the belief that somehow Marissa would be able to walk again. 

Seth sighed instead of saying anything. Ana's mind was already made up. "I'll be there in ten minutes." She agreed before hanging up. Seth hung up his phone as well and dropped it back into his pocket. He turned and headed back to where Ryan and Marissa were. 

"She's going to be here in ten minutes." He answered, looking at Ryan as he spoke, hoping his friend understood what seeing Ana was going to do to his already confused heart. He was worried about Summer, more then worried actually, but he didn't know how he would feel when he saw Ana again, what he would say; what could he say? He didn't even want to think about it. 

Ryan saw the emotions churning in Seth's eyes and nodded sincerely. "Thanks man." Marissa also smiled but the smile was clearly forced, pale and wane and almost emotionless. Maybe going out was a bad idea, maybe she should go back to the hospital with her painkillers and bed rest. But this was something she had to do, a part of her still needed to understand. 

Seth headed to the entrance of the parking lot to watch for Ana's car and Ryan sat down on the ground beside Marissa. He had always been taller then she when they were standing but now the chair gave her a few extra inches and she wasn't sure she liked having to look down at him; she had always enjoyed staring up into those deep eyes. 

They sat in silence for a handful of minutes, watching the sun sink beneath the horizon and streak the sky with deep pinks and purples. Ryan turned to look at Marissa, taken by how beautiful her face was with the hues reflecting off her skin and bringing out her sorrowful eyes. She turned toward him. "What?" She questioned, suddenly self-conscious and Ryan waved his hand dismissively. 

"Nothing." He remarked and then thought better of it. "You're so beautiful." Marissa's cheeks reddened at his words and she looked away, romantically embarrassed. Ryan took her hand. "I'm so glad that you're all right; I don't know what I would have done if Oliver had... I'm just glad you're okay." 

Marissa frowned slightly. "But I'm not okay Ryan." She said. "I'm in a wheelchair because I can't feel or move my legs. How is that okay?" 

"It could be worse." Ryan answered quickly, certain that she knew just how much worse it could be. "I could be going to your service tonight." 

Marissa wanted to agree with him, to say that, in the scheme of things, not being able to walk wasn't so bad but she didn't feel that way. She still hadn't come to grips with the fact that her "condition" (as the doctors called it) was better then death. But she didn't want to confess that aloud because Ryan had seen death, he had seen first hand how bad things could get and any alternative was a good one. Marissa knew he couldn't understand the conflicting emotions that were surging through her heart at the moment. 

Seth trotted back over to them. "She's here." He announced when he arrived, flanked by Ana's SUV pulling up to the curb. Ana hopped out of the driver's side but left the engine running; she headed directly over to Marissa and embraced the girl when she reached her. Even though she and Marissa had never been the best of friends -or really even good friends at all- it still brook her heart to see the girl broken and almost beaten. Marissa returned the gesture, not at all surprised and greatly touched; she could get to like this Ana girl. 

"I'm so sorry Marissa." Ana said when they parted. "But you're going to be okay. I know you are." She assured the brunette who managed a weak smile. "Let me know if there's anything else I can do." Marissa nodded in agreement. 

Ryan watched the whole exchange wordlessly, glad that Marissa had so many people in her life that cared about her. That was something he'd never had growing up and knew how harsh the world could be when you faced it all alone. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "Now we have to figure out how to get you and the wheelchair into the car." 

"The cargo space in the SUV is probably big enough for the chair." Ana remarked. She walked back over to the SUV and opened the back door, peering inside. "It should fit." She agreed with a nod. 

Seth opened one of the back doors to the SUV and Ryan wheeled Marissa's chair to the side of the car. He lifted her into his arms again and Marissa pressed her face against his chest, closing her eyes and imaging everything that was real away; for a moment, she was back to the way things used to be, before Oliver, before everything. Things were right and good again and she was safe. 

Ryan gently set Marissa into one of the seats and made sure she was comfortable before helping Seth (well, Seth really didn't do anything but stand and watch) load the wheelchair into the back of the SUV. He wondered for a fleeting moment if this was going to be his life from now on, taking care of Marissa if the operation didn't work; he realized quickly that he didn't mind caring for the woman he loved. 

Ana and Seth climbed into the seats in the front of the car and Ryan sat beside Marissa. "So, where am I going?" Ana questioned as she pulled away from the curb and headed out of the parking lot. 

"Hillcrest Memorial Home." Seth answered, keeping his eyes fixed at something on the other side of the windshield. He didn't want to look at Ana, didn't want to risk what he might see or say. Ana seemed just fine with that decision anyway because she didn't look over at him either. 

Marissa watched the city lights blur past the car's windows and wondered again if she was doing the right thing. What was she hoping to accomplish by going to the service? She looked over at Ryan, who had been watching her since he had gotten in the car. "Ryan, do you think I'm crazy?" She questioned. 

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Is there a right way to answer this question?" He tried to joke but the serious look in Marissa's eyes changed his mood. "No, I don't think you're crazy. Why would I think you're crazy?" 

"For wanting to go to Oliver's service." Marissa answered. "I'm scared Ryan." She confessed, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke, looking away from his eyes and down at her hands. 

Ryan took her hands in his and held them tightly, causing her to look up at him again. "Whatever you're afraid of, you don't need to be." He assured her, nothing but love for her shining in his eyes. Marissa took his hands and rested them against her cheeks, sighing deeply and almost contentedly; Ryan had the affect on her. 

Ana watched them from the rearview mirror and also sighed, quieter then Marissa; that was storybook love, handsome prince love, love she had never had with Seth. Maybe Summer would have a better chance turning Seth into her handsome prince; maybe she had never been his princess. 

They were silent throughout the rest of the ride and Marissa's worry began to tie knots in her stomach again. The parking lot of the Hillcrest Memorial Home was packed with cars, which surprised Ryan; he had always been under the assumption that Oliver didn't have any friends or family. Yet, it seemed he was about to be proved wrong. 

Ana pulled the SUV into one of the only empty spots left and slipped the keys out of the ignition. "All right, let's get this crazy show on the road." She remarked and got out of the car. Seth and Ryan followed after her and headed toward the back of the car to unload the wheelchair. 

"Are you sure this is really a good idea?" Ana questioned, her voice low, looking only at Ryan. "I mean, the guy did shoot her." 

Ryan didn't say anything as he pulled the chair out of the cargo hold. "Believe me, we're having the same doubts." He muttered as he went back to where Marissa was sitting, waiting, with her eyes fixed straight ahead. She didn't turn in his direction when he opened the door. 

"What am I doing Ryan?" Marissa questioned without looking away. "Why are we here?" Suddenly, she didn't want to be here, didn't want to go into that building and see the family that had abandoned Oliver and turned him into what he was. 

"I don't know Marissa." Ryan answered, continuing to stare at her profile. He couldn't read the emotion in her shadowed eyes. 

Marissa turned to look at him. Wordlessly, she undid her seat belt and let him lift her into the wheelchair but she was no longer so sure of anything anymore. She was already ready for this evening to be over and it hadn't even begun. 

* * * 

The Hillcrest Memorial Home was an upper-crust place, as was everything in New Port, that looked more like the ball room at a snazzy hotel then a funeral home. The room where Oliver's service was being held was the largest of the rooms available for that purpose and Ryan and the others had no trouble finding it. Just as the parking lot outside had been packed with cars, the room was packed with guests, dressed in black and standing together in groups, talking in whispered tones. Only one woman was actually crying and Marissa figured that she was Oliver's mother; a boy, a little older then Oliver had been, was standing next to her and bore a strong resemblance to the dead boy. _Brother, _Ryan decided as he took in all the mourners, who looked to him like dreary cocktail party guests. 

"So, what now?" Seth questioned, staying close to Ryan and Ana. No one seemed sure of what to do; Ryan had been to a few funerals in his time, but this service was nothing like any of them. 

The four didn't have to stand around for long because Oliver's mother turned in their direction and her eyes locked on Marissa. The tears in her eyes turned to tears of rage as she started stalking toward the group, followed by her surviving son, and a handful of friends that tried to dissuade her from approaching the teenagers. Her eyes roamed angrily across the faces of Ana, Seth and Ryan before falling Marissa, who was looking up at the woman with no expression on her face. 

At first, Marissa didn't know what to think about the woman that was Oliver's mother; she wanted to blame her for what had happened, wanted to ask what she had been thinking when she had all but abandoned her son. Wanted to know if she was happy now. 

But the older woman spoke first. "How dare you show up here? What gives you the right to be here?" She snapped and Ryan knew from her tone of voice that Oliver's mother blamed them, and mainly Marissa, for what had taken place. 

"Ma'am, we're just here to pay are respects." Ana answered before the others could, with more respect in her voice then they would have been able to muster had they spoken. Seth nodded in agreement. 

Oliver's mother scoffed. "Your respects?" She repeated incredulously. "Haven't you caused my family enough pain? You took away my son-" 

"How can you think we had anything to do with that?" Ryan questioned and the woman looked over at him. He wished he hadn't spoken but he wasn't going to take the blame for Oliver's problems that had possibly left the only person he had ever loved paralyzed for the rest of her life. "Oliver shot himself, none of us pulled the trigger." 

The woman looked stunned at his words and the Oliver's brother stepped forward protectively. "You'd better keep your mouth shut." He snapped and glared at Ryan. For a moment, the boy from Chino wondered if he was about to get into a fight in the middle of a funeral service and realized he'd fought in stranger places. 

"Ma'am, I liked Oliver, but he had problems. Problems none of us could help him with." Marissa spoke up, causing the woman to look down at her again. She wondered if Oliver's mother knew that her son was responsible for putting her in the wheelchair but didn't see the need to bring it up. They were both experiencing enough pain and hurt. 

"You're the little bitch that caused those problems." The woman snapped, taking Marissa by surprised. "Everyone always blames the mother, the family but let me tell you, I raised my son just fine. If my son had any problems, you caused them and it should have been you that took a bullet to the head." Marissa's eyes filled with tears and Ana squeezed the girl's shoulder in a comforting gesture. 

Ryan took a step toward the mother. "You have no right to speak to her that way." He snapped. "You didn't know your son at all, lady." 

Oliver's brother grabbed Ryan's arm and the other boy whirled to face him, body tensing up in preparation for an attack. "You'd better just get the hell out of here before I show you out myself." He spat and Ryan roughly pulled away from him. 

Seth put his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Let's go man." He muttered, low and Ryan took a step back, keeping an eye on Oliver's family as he left the room, pushing Marissa, followed by Seth and Ana. 

Once they were in the parking lot, Marissa burst into tears, burying her face in her hands, shoulders shaking violently. Ryan knelt down in front of her and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "It's all right Marissa." Seth comforted as he watched her cry. "The whole family's just a bunch of crazies." 

Marissa's words had no affect on the girl as she continued to cry, pressing her face against Ryan's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. "I don't understand." She cried, body racked with sobs. "I just don't understand." 

Ryan understood what she was going through. There were a lot of things in this life that he simply couldn't understand. 


	8. Before the Storm

Chapter Eight 

Before the Storm 

The hospital parking lot was less crowded when Ana pulled her SUV against the curb, though less then an hour had passed since they had left the building. The lights of Lakeview were still burning brightly, keeping a vigil through the night for those out there who needed it; Marissa looked up and wondered if her parents were still up there, awaiting her safe return. 

As Ryan and Seth got out of the car and headed toward the back, Ana turned around to look at the girl. "I'll come visit you tomorrow, just to check up, if you want." She offered and Marissa smiled. 

"I'd like that." She said sincerely, wondering again where Summer had vanished off to. If Seth hadn't heard from her in hours then that wasn't a good sign; she knew her friend and knew that wasn't normal Summer, center-of-attention, behavior. 

Ana smiled as well. Ryan opened Marissa's door and lifted the girl into the wheel, taking her head and squeezing it reassuringly. Marissa looked up at him and saw a look in his eyes that she knew well; the look that said _I'm always here for you. _As she gazed into his eyes, she wondered again how she could have been stupid enough to ever believe Oliver over Ryan. 

Seth and Ana said their awkward goodbyes and then she pulled away from the curb, leaving the parking lot and disappearing into the night. The automatic doors slid open to allow the trio access into the waiting room and they were surprised to see Jimmy and Sandy waiting near the nurse's station. Jimmy instantly hurried over to his daughter and knelt in front of her. "Are you all right, Marissa?" He questioned, putting his arms on her shoulders. 

"Yeah." Marissa answered, surprised by her father's behavior. "Why shouldn't I be?" She looked from him to Sandy and then back again. There was something they weren't telling her. 

Sandy pulled his son and ward off to one side and stared at them gravely. "What were you thinking? Taking her out of the hospital like that?" He questioned, looking mainly at Ryan, for he knew he was surely the ringleader of the whole operation. 

"She needed to get out." Ryan answered. "She also wanted to pay her respects to Oliver." He added, remembering what Ana had said and how it had sounded so nice despite everything that the boy had caused. 

Seth looked at his father. "We weren't gone that long." He pointed out, not liking the look he saw in the man's eyes. Sandy Cohen wasn't a happy man at that moment. 

"It's not that Seth." Sandy snapped and tried to regain his composer. He was a lawyer, he had never let his temper get the best of him. "Taking Marissa out of the hospital like that could have further damaged the bullet injury. If it did, the operation won't be as effective." 

Ryan looked like someone had slapped him across the face; he felt a cold pit developing in the pit of his stomach. What if he had hurt Marissa even worse and what if, because of that, she wouldn't be able to walk again? It tore his heart in two to think that he might be the cause of such pain. 

Sandy saw the look on Ryan's face and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You didn't know, Ryan." He said. "And it's not certain that moving her would do anything at all. Who knows, maybe getting out was just what she needed." Ryan didn't look so sure but he didn't say anything. 

Seth frowned. "Well, going to Oliver's service certainly didn't do any good." He said off-handedly. "The whole crazy family blames Marissa for what happened." 

Sandy frowned as well. "How can they?" He questioned. "To think that Marissa had anything to do with Oliver shooting himself. She was the only one that actually liked the kid." 

Ryan looked over to where Marissa was, with Jimmy still knelt in front of her, speaking with his voice low. "What they said really hurt her." He mumbled. "There are just some people..." He trailed off. There was nothing he could do now. 

Sandy knew exactly what he meant; he had seen plenty of parents like Oliver's who believed that their children's problems were anyone's fault but there own. They didn't believe in raising a child until they had something to benefit from it. 

With nothing more to say, Sandy, Ryan and Seth returned to Marissa and Jimmy; Jimmy stood and smiled at Sandy and the boys. "I think we'd better get back upstairs." He suggested and looked down at Marissa. "Your mother's worried about you." 

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "She is?" She didn't believe a word of it. 

"Well," Jimmy trailed off and shrugged sheepishly. "Kirsten's worried about you." Marissa couldn't help but smile. Her father often tried to give her a mother a little credit, even though she didn't deserve it, and she found it slightly endearing. 

They headed for the elevator in silence, Ryan pushing Marissa's chair since it seemed like he was the one that felt most comfortable admitting that it had to be done. Jimmy looked uncomfortable at the fact that his daughter was in a wheelchair and kept his gaze elsewhere while they were in the elevator. 

Kirsten and Julie were standing outside Marissa' room when they arrived and Jimmy did seem to have a point: Kirsten looked more relieved to see Marissa then Julie did. There was a slight awkward silence as the group approached the room; no one was quite sure what to say. _Did you have a nice time? _seemed a bit inappropriate and so no one said anything; Kirsten smiled but Marissa didn't have the energy to return the gesture. 

The doctor that had treated Marissa the day (only yesterday, it was hard for Ryan to believe) and had recommended the operation to help her walk again, a middle-aged man named Thomas Browning, was waiting with Kirsten and Julie as well and wasn't pleased at the events that had taken place. He was so upset that he fumbled with the words he wanted to shout at the teenagers; finally Sandy had to calm the man down ("She's all right Doc," he'd pointed out), worried that the good doctor was going to suffer a heartache. Without another word, Browning stalked down the hallway, throwing his hands in the air as he walked, mumbling something about uneducated ruffians and left the Cohens, the Coopers and Ryan standing in the hallway. 

Finally, Julie clasped her hands together in a forced motherly gesture and said, "I think we've all had enough excitement for the night. What do you say we get you back into bed, Marissa?" It wasn't really a question, but Marissa nodded her head in consent anyway and Ryan wheeled her into the hospital room, followed by the others, with the exception of Julie, who stood in the hallway for a moment longer before she realized that she was the only one outside. 

Ryan scooped Marissa into his arms and held her for a moment, and she laid her head against his chest. Watching them, Seth thought about Summer once more and got the feeling deep in his heart that something was the matter with the girl he had always loved; he vowed to call her as soon as Marissa was situated and he was no longer needed for the time being. Ryan's gaze lingered on Marissa's wane face for a moment longer before gently placing her back into her sterile, white hospital bed; Marissa squeezed his hand and smiled briefly at him. 

Marissa arranged the thin cotton sheets around herself and untangled the IV tubing from around her arm. Her father watched silently, wondering how he could have let something like this happen to his daughter. Wasn't it his duty to protect his child, no matter what? Yet, the worst threat to his daughter's safety had been right under his nose and he hadn't been able to see it. No one had. 

Laying against the propped up pillows, Marissa looked undeniably small and exhausted. The whiteness reflected off the fabric of the pillows nearly matched the pallor in her cheeks and dark shadows were forming beneath her eyes. But even as Ryan noticed all of these things, he thought that she still looked beautiful. He pulled a chair beside the bed and moved to sit down but Jimmy stepped forward and put a hand on his arm. "You should go home Ryan, Marissa needs her rest." He said but Ryan didn't like the suggestion; he opened his mouth to argue but Marissa stopped him. 

"It's okay Ryan. Go home, relax a little bit." She told him. "I'll still be here when you get back." She didn't even have the energy to offer him a smile but she hoped he knew one was there, hiding beneath her pale and drawn lips. 

Ryan didn't look convinced but there wasn't much he could have done; he hadn't slept much in the past days and he hadn't showered since he had rushed off to help Marissa from Oliver. Maybe going home wasn't a bad idea; he could get a shower, a change of clothes and then be right back at the hospital. 

With a nod, Ryan squeezed her hand and headed out of the hospital room behind the Cohens and Marissa's parents, never taking his eyes off the girl in the bed until he was in the hallway. The hospital around them was silent and the only sound Ryan could hear were those of his own footsteps. He knew this sort of calm, he had lived through it before and knew what followed it; this was the calm before the storm, the silence that lulled you into peace. They weren't out of the woods yet, bad times were still ahead of Ryan and his friends. 


	9. The Morning After

Thanks for all the reviews, it's crazy; you guys are great. Keep 'em up, it's good to know I'm needed. Thanks again! 

Chapter Nine 

The Morning After 

The Cohen house was silent and it felt like it had been inhabited for more then almost two days. Until he walked into the pool house, Ryan hadn't realized just how exhausted he was; he had barely slept in forty-eight hours and his bed looked more comfortable then it ever had. As he lay on top of the comforter, Ryan intended to rest his eyes for only a moment before getting up and into the shower but he ended up sleeping for the entire night. His sleep was dreamless, peaceful and undisturbed and not once did he think about the problems that waited for him when he woke. 

Seth, however, was in a completely different state of mind, stalking around his bedroom, listening to the phone ring against his ear and wishing Summer would pick up. He had dialed her numbed as soon as he walked into the house and had been listening to the ringing ever since. Now he was really worried about Summer; it wasn't like her not to answer her phone. 

After he listened to the phone ring more times then he cared to count, Seth hung up and tossed the phone onto his bed. His mind was made up, he was going over to Summer's house to see why she wasn't answering the phone. 

Sandy was sitting in the living room, channel surfing, while Kirsten bustled around in the kitchen, banging pots and pans, clearly unsure of what to do with herself. Finally, Sandy turned around to face his wife and said, "Kirsten, what are you doing?" He raised an eyebrow. 

Kirsten sighed and set down the wac that she had taken out from beneath the stove and which she had never once cooked in and looked over at Sandy. "I just don't know what to do; I want to something to help Marissa but..." She looked just as helpless as she said. "I can't imagine what Julie must be feeling right now." 

"Ah honey, you give her too much credit." Sandy mumbled. Kirsten gave him a look but didn't say anything. "Marissa's going to be fine, she's a tough kid." He continued. "Soon everything will be back to normal." 

Seth stormed into the living room and looked at his parents. "I think Summer's been abducted by aliens." He said simply but passionately as though he really believed the words he was saying. 

Sandy sighed. "I said _soon _things would be back to normal." He said in response to the look Kirsten shot him. "Soon." 

Kirsten looked at her son. "Seth, what are you babbling?" She questioned as patiently as she could. 

Seth was all too happy to explain. "I've been calling Summer all day and I've gotten no answer. I've tried her home, tried her cell, nothing." He continued, much like a lawyer presenting his case. "It's just not right; Summer not answering her phone is like, against the laws of nature. Something's wrong, so I'm thinking-" 

"Aliens." Sandy interjected. "Out of all the possible explanations you think that Summer was abducted by aliens." 

"Exactly." Seth accented his point by stabbing his index finger into the air. "Summer's always expecting a call from someone so it's just not right that she's not picking up the phone. I'm just going to go over to her house and make sure everything's all right." 

Kirsten didn't like her son's plan. "It's almost teen thirty, Seth." She pointed out. "Did you ever think that the reason that poor girl isn't answering her phone is because she's asleep?" 

Seth shook his head. "Impossible; she's a light sleeper, the ringing would wake her up." He paused, face suddenly becoming serious. "I'm really worried about her and I really do think there's something wrong." 

Kirsten's facial expression softened as well and she said, "Summer's got a lot to deal with right now; her best friend is in the hospital." 

"But Summer hasn't even come to visit Marissa." Seth argued. "Not once. She hasn't even called." 

Sandy could see way Seth was getting so worried; Summer and Marissa were nearly inseparable. It just wasn't right that Summer hadn't come sweeping in Marissa's hospital room already with her arms loaded with flowers and fashion magazines and a smile on her face. "I'll tell you what, Seth, when we go back to the hospital, we'll take Summer with us. That way we can kill two birds with one stone." He suggested. 

Seth looked relieved and smiled his father; Sandy returned the gesture and a moment of unspoken love and gratitude passed between father and son. The moment was broken when the phone rang and Seth headed for it like a man expected grave news. "Maybe that's Summer." He mumbled, more to himself then to his parents. 

"Hello?" He answered. Seth could feel Sandy and Kirsten staring at him but since the kitchen phone was a cordless one, there was nothing he could do about it. 

"Cohen, stop calling me." Summer's voice commanded from the other line and Seth felt relief course through his body. So Summer wasn't abducted by aliens and she wasn't dead but she didn't exactly sound like her normal self. "You've been calling all day." 

Seth frowned; so she had been home, listening to the phone ring and listening to his messages but not once did she actually pick up the phone. Oh yeah, something was wrong. "I've just been worried about you, Summer." He explained. "I haven't really talked to you since Oliver killed himself." 

Instantly Seth could feel Summer's mood change, even through the phone. Had he said something wrong? "Just stop calling me Cohen." She mumbled again, voice flat and lifeless. 

"Summer, what's the matter?" Seth questioned but Summer didn't answer so he decided to change gears. "I was thinking that you could come with us to the hospital tomorrow when we go visit Marissa." He suggested as brightly as he could. 

There was silence for a moment. "I don't think so." Summer answered, much more lightly then Seth had managed. "But maybe some other time." She sounded like a different person all of the sudden, lifeless with forced brightness like someone forcing a smile and a happy attitude. But Seth could sense that she somehow sounded frightened and confused at the same time. "Thanks for calling." 

"No, Summer, wait-" Seth began but the other line clicked and then went dead, leaving him listening to a dial tone. With a sigh, Seth hung up the phone and turned to look at his father. "Something's wrong with her." 

Kirsten put a hand on her son's shoulder. "What do you think it is?" She questioned, only because she couldn't think of anything else to say. 

Seth shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I just have no idea." He mumbled. "She told me to stop calling her and then refused to go see Marissa and then she was like 'thanks for calling.' Summer doesn't act like that, there's something the matter with her." 

Sandy wished that it wasn't so late, otherwise he'd offer to drive Seth over to Summer's right then. Something wasn't right, now he was certain of that; he had seen people like how Seth described Summer to be acting in his courtrooms, when he was dealing with murder or abuse cases. Victims that simply closed up, stopped acting like themselves before finally shutting down and it made since to him that Summer might be acting that way; she had seen a boy kill himself and shoot her best friend. And, if he remembered right he had heard something once, from Kirsten perhaps, about Summer's mother, who had died when the girl had only been six that had to do with a gunshot. He wished his memory served him better then it did at that moment; he'd have to ask Kirsten later. 

"Maybe she'll be more willing to talk when we see her tomorrow." Sandy suggested instead but Seth didn't look so sure. 

If anything, he was Summer's friend and what sort of friend didn't know how to help another friend in trouble? Seth was at a loss of how to even react to the words that Summer had said, which were still playing through his head like a broken record. But if there was anything he could do, it would have to wait until tomorrow; until then, all he could do was sit in his room and wait. 

Summer was sitting in her room, leaning against the headboard with her knees drawn up to her chin and Princess Sparkle, her favorite _My Little Pony _and childhood toy and friend when you got down to it, cradled in her lap. She was stroking Princess Sparkle's worn mane like she had done so many times before. 

Sitting alone in her dark room with only Princess Sparkle for company reminded Summer of being a little girl again, waiting for her father to return from the hospital where her mother was waiting to die from a gunshot injury. She shuddered as tears pricked the corners of her eyes and willed herself to stop thinking about the past. It wasn't her mother in the hospital anymore, it was Marissa and Marissa wasn't going to die. 

But every time she closed her eyes, it wasn't Marissa she saw being shot by Oliver, it was her mother, all those years ago. Summer squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she tried to black the image out but it was no use, it stuck fast. 

A cry of rage and sorrow escaped through her clinched teeth and Summer threw Princess Sparkle across the room with as much force as she could muster but it didn't make her feel any better. She proceeded to throw her pillows against the walls, trying to force herself to be angry instead of upset and frightened because being angry would stop the tears from following down her cheeks. 

But it was no use. Summer collapsed on her bed, drawing herself into a fetal position and couldn't do anything to stop her tears from coming. She was alone, just like she had been that night but now she didn't even have Princess Sparkle to comfort her. And the darkness that seemed to surround her was only getting deeper. 

When dawn finally broke in New Port, Ryan was shocked to find that he had slept through the night, away from the hospital and away from Marissa. As he slid off his bed and headed toward the bathroom, he thought about how Marissa must have felt, waiting for him all night, alone with only Julie Cooper for company. Nobody needed Julie for company, no matter how alone they were. 

Ryan took what was probably the shortest shower of his entire life, changed into a fresh pair of clothes -it did feel good to be out of the ones that were still stained with Marissa's blood, he had to admit- and headed toward the Cohen house, already preparing the speech he was going to give them when he woke them their restful and much needed sleep. But to his surprise, the Cohens were already up, awake and dressed and Kirsten was toasting muffins and bread while Seth poured himself another cup of coffee, already looking jumpy enough to Ryan. 

"There you are." Sandy by way of a greeting when he entered the kitchen. "We were getting ready to leave without you." 

Ryan headed over toward the coffee pot. "I thought the plan was just to come home for a quick shower and then go back to the hospital." He mumbled, more to himself then anyone else. "Has the hospital called? Is there any news on Marissa?" 

Seth turned to look at Ryan and couldn't resist poking a little fun at the tired and overly stressed out boy from Chino. "Actually, yeah, some sea gulls from the bay flew into her room last night and took her hostage, saying something about how the city put those spiky things on top of the telephone polls so they can't sit down. They've got some guys from the hostage negotiate department talking to the sea gulls, hearing their demands and it looks promising." He said. Ryan just stared at him and Seth turned away, mumbling to himself about being underapperciated. 

Kirsten rolled her eyes at her son's behavior. "No, there's nothing new on Marissa." She answered, though she figured that Ryan already knew that nothing had happened since the night had passed. 

Ryan nodded and filled his mug, staring down at the liquid, no longer interested in actually drinking and watched steam wisp into the air. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or worried that there wasn't any news on Marissa; he figured that no news was good news but was that really the case in this situation? At least Marissa hadn't gotten any worse but she certainly hadn't gotten any better. 

Kirsten was buttering her toast as she flipped through yesterday's mail, which she had just retrieved from the mailbox before Ryan had come into the kitchen. She picked up a postcard, adversiting the Los Angeles cityscape. She flipped it over and read the short message on the back. "Oh, here's a postcard from Hailey." Kirsten said, and Sandy couldn't read the emotion in her voice. "It says that she's living in Los Angeles and she's a tennis instructure." She put the postcard down again. "Funny, I didn't think she could play tennis." 

Sandy looked at his wife. "You know your sister, honey, she's a girl of many colors." He muttered, though he wasn't quite sure what he meant by that statement. "At least she decided to drop you a line." 

Kirsten nodded but something about her little sister Hailey's postcard didn't seem right to her; it wasn't like Hailey to write or call unless she needed something but her letter was unusually brief and devoid of any sort of request. She sorted the postcard back into the other pile of letters that she was just going to attend to later; she had more important things to worry about then the briefness of her flighty sister's letter. 

Ryan took a sip of coffee, changed his mind again and dumped the rest of it down the drain. "Okay, are we ready to go back to the hospital?" He questioned, looking over at Kirsten and Sandy. 

Seth looked up from where he was stirring cream into his coffee. "We have to pick up Summer on the way." He reminded. He had decided that whether or not she wanted to come, Summer was going with them to the hospital. 

"You finally got in touch with her? Good." Ryan muttered offhandedly and Seth nodded with the same aside emotion. Those weren't exactly the words he would use to describe the conversation he had had with Summer. 

Sandy folded up the paper and finished off the last of his coffee; he figured that it was best to start heading towards the hospital before Ryan and Seth started walking. They were both eager to leave but for different reasons; love made people anxious. He stood up, pushing his chair behind him. "All right, let's get this show on the road." 


	10. Shattered

Chapter Ten 

Shattered 

The day was proving to be an overcast one, with the graying clouds collecting on the fringes of the horizon, matching the color of the rough waves that crashed against the coastline, stirred by the approaching storm. The weather seemed to hover like a blanket over New Port, banishing most of the residences in doors to wait and see whether or not the clouds meant rain or not. As far as Seth was concerned, the building clouds and oppressive gloom they contained matched the mood his was in perfectly. His emotions crashed like the heavy waves as he sat in the back of the SUV beside Ryan, approaching Summer's house. Seth had no idea to expect when they finally arrived at the Roberts', which worried him; he had known Summer for pretty much his whole life and he had made it a practice to know how she was feeling and how to react. But now he was at a loss; would he be seeing the old Summer or the Summer that he had talked to on the phone the previous night? How would she react when he told her that he was all but forcing her to visit Marissa in the hospital? Seth watched the choppy ocean as these thoughts coursed through his mind, ignoring everything else. 

Ryan was lost in his thoughts as well, ignoring the radio that blared from the speaker beside him and Kirsten as she speculated on her sister's new vocation. "Hailey doesn't know how to play tennis." She decided firmly as she fidgeted with the radio and everything else in sight. Picking things up, moving them and simply pushing them around was one of Kirsten's nervous ticks that didn't disappear when they were in the car; she constantly rearranged her seat belt across her chest, switched radio stations and Sandy even thought she was about to go as far as to organize the objects in the glove compartment. Kirsten always worried about her sister, whether she showed it or not and hearing for the younger Nichol seemed to make things worse; now she was forced to wonder whether Hailey was happy as a tennis instructor -if that was really what she was doing-, whether she was and who she was staying with. "I remember because my father tried to get us to take lessons but she refused and every time he made her get onto the court she'd hit the tennis balls at whoever came near enough for her to hit." 

Sandy turned to look at his wife. "Maybe Hailey's learned how to play tennis since then." He suggested, trying to ease her mind. There was enough going on in her life right now without the added burden of worrying about Hailey but it was obvious to him that it wasn't going to be that easy to get Kirsten to think about something else. 

"But it's not just that." Kirsten pointed out as they pulled onto Summer's street. "All Hailey did was write a postcard about how she's teaching tennis. When have you ever known her to write just to chat and not ask for money or a place to stay?" She pointed out. Hailey's refusal to acknowledge that she needed money meant that she needed it worse then she would say. "It's just not like Hailey." 

Ryan finally pulled himself out of his thoughts long enough to ask, "Do you think there's something wrong?" If Hailey was anything like his mother had been, then she hadn't asked for money, or a place to stay or help of anytime because it wouldn't have done any good. There came a point in everyone's life that nothing would be of any use anymore and he just hoped Hailey hadn't reached hers. Look where it had gotten his mother. 

Kirsten shrugged. "You never can tell with Hailey." She admitted. "Maybe I'm just getting worked up over nothing." 

The topic was dropped when Sandy pulled the SUV into Summer's driveway, which was empty as usual since Summer always kept her pride and joy silver VW Beetle in the driveway and Mr. Roberts was never home long enough for anyone to actually see his car. Seth looked away from the coast and toward the house when the car stopped and noted that most of the lights were off inside, which he didn't think was a good sign. He unbuckled his seatbelt, opened his door and slipped silently out of the car, toward the front door. 

Seth rapped on the cherry wood door. "Summer?" He called as he knocked. "It's me." He knocked again, there was silence on the other side of the door. 

Just as he prepared to knock again, the door swung open and Summer appeared, in her bathrobe, looking neither annoyed nor happy to see him. There was no emotion on her face whatsoever, something that Seth didn't find very comforting. "Cohen." She greeted. 

"I guess I should have called." Seth began, noting the fact that Summer was dressed only in a robe. "But we were going to visit Marissa and thought that you might want to come with us." 

Summer considered for a moment; she wanted to see Marissa but she didn't want to go to the same hospital where her mother had died. But it seemed like Seth would never leave her alone if she didn't go; all she had to do was go see her friend once then everyone would leave her alone like she wanted. "Fine." She relented. "Just let me get dressed." Summer shut the door again and disappeared back into her room. 

Seth remained on the front stoop for a moment; he turned back toward the car, flashed the passengers a thumbs-up and then turned to face the door again. Summer reappeared moments later, dressed in a wrinkled tee-shirt and jeans; Seth had never known her to get ready that quickly but here she was, not looking very eager to go but ready just the same. 

In silence, they headed back toward the SUV; Seth moved into the middle of the car to allow Summer the window seat, which had always been her favorite place to sit whenever she was in a moving vehicle of any kind. However, she just sat down without acknowledging his remembrance and buckled her seatbelt, not even greeting the Cohens in the front seat. Kirsten turned around to smile slightly at the dark-headed girl. "How are you, Summer?" She questioned, simply to see if the girl would answer at all. 

"Just great." Summer answered, voice devoid of any sort of emotion and Seth looked over at his mother with a helpless look in his eyes. _See, _the look said, _I told you there's something very wrong with her. _

Sandy looked back at Summer in the rearview mirror as he backed the SUV out of the driveway, heading toward Lakeview Hospital. The ride was taken in silence, even Kirsten had run out of useless things to talk about and the only sound in the car came from the radio. Summer stared at the window, much like Seth had done moments before but there were very little thoughts running through her head as she watched the gulls hover about the ocean. 

Summer remained silent and still even after the SUV had been parked in front of Lakeview Hospital. Seth nudged her shoulder once, twice, before she jumped, startled and turned to look at him. "What?" She questioned. 

Seth gestured toward the hospital. "We're here." He pointed out and Summer sighed, unbuckling her seatbelt. He stared at her for a long moment before finally asked bluntly, "Summer, what's wrong with you?" 

"Nothing's wrong." Summer said, looking surprised at his question. "Why do you think there's something wrong?" 

Seth blinked, unsure of what to say to her remark. Instead, he just got out of the SUV behind Ryan and waited for Summer to do the same. Together, they walked into the hospital and headed up to Marissa's room; Summer was silent throughout the elevator ride and didn't even speak when Kirsten suggested stopping by the gift shop to get something for Marissa. As Seth watched her, it seemed to him like Summer herself didn't even know what was going on or where she was, like her mind was blank and she was just doing what everyone else was doing. It was so strange to see the fiery woman he had fallen in love act this way and he just hoped that he could find someway to help her soon. 

Jimmy looked up from the magazine he hadn't really been reading when the group approached and he smiled at them. "We were wondering when you'd be back." He spoke to everyone but his comment was directly mostly toward Ryan. "Marissa's been asking for you." 

"Is she all right?" Ryan questioned, relieved when Jimmy nodded. "I'll go in and see her now." He entered Marissa's room, a smile spreading across his face as soon as he saw his girlfriend. 

Julie stood and joined the Cohens and Summer, smiling at the girl. "It's good to finally see you here, Summer." She greeted. "Marissa will be really happy to see you." 

Summer just nodded; Seth took her hand and together they walked into the hospital room. Kirsten sighed as she watched Summer for a moment, before returning her attention to Julie, Jimmy and Sandy. "She's been acting strange lately." She said, as though to excuse Summer's lack of response to Julie's words. 

Julie seemed surprised. "Really?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow as she peeked into the hospital room. "I didn't notice." She sounded serious. Sandy muttered something that might have been 'that doesn't surprised me' but Julie didn't seem to notice his comment either. "Anyway, Marissa will be really glad that she's come to visit." 

Inside the room, Ryan had taken his usual spot beside Marissa, who had brightened considerably when Summer entered the room. "Hey Summer, I was wondering when you'd take time out of your social calendar to visit a poor sick friend." She said this with a smile and it was obvious it was a joke but Summer had no retort for the words. 

Marissa frowned when she noticed how quiet Summer was, noticing her change in demeanor and appearance as well; it looked as though Summer didn't have any makeup on, which was a red flag that there was something wrong. "Sum?" She questioned and the dark haired girl looked over at Marissa. 

"Hey Coop. How are you feeling?" Summer questioned, sitting down in a chair beside Ryan. She leaned against the back, gazing past the Get Well balloon that bobbed around on its lose string, looking past Marissa and staring at the wall, though she didn't look like she was staring at anything at all. 

Marissa looked at Ryan and Seth, who both shrugged helplessly, confused and just as lost at how to react to Summer's strange behavior as she was. "I'm fine." She mumbled, squeezing Ryan's hand. He looked deep into her eyes and saw nothing but worry for Summer inside of them; he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled slightly at her. 

"Have the doctors told you anything new?" Ryan questioned and Marissa shook her head. "And you're not in any pain or anything, right?" He pressed, unwilling to think of her in any sort of discomfort. 

Marissa couldn't help but smile at his concern. "No, Ryan, no pain." She promised. "Just a little sore." 

Summer continued to stare, silent, and no one said anything for a while. Seth finally got tired of standing and walked to the opposite side of the room to retrieve another chair, dragging it over so that he could sit in the middle of Summer and Ryan; the side of the chair bumped against Marissa's bed, rattling the metal guardrail. "God, Marissa, I'm sorry." Seth apologized quickly, feeling like a complete ass for allowing the chair to get away from him like that. 

Marissa assured him that it was fine. The balloon that had been tied loosely onto the guardrail was knocked loose by the bump and floated up toward the ceiling. Upon making contact with the sharp grooves that attempted to add a bit of pattern to the bland, white ceiling, the balloon popped instantly, echoing like a gunshot through the room. 

Everyone jumped, aside from Summer, whose eyes suddenly grew wide and her face pale and she sat rigid. The pop had sounded too much like a gunshot for her liking and suddenly her head was filled with memories that she had never wanted to experience again in her life; images of her Oliver, pulling the trigger with the muzzle of the gun against his temple and of her mother, who had been shot when she had been six. And suddenly, Summer just couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't take the memories and the pictures that would never go away and she couldn't take the way her head felt heavy every time she tried to think of something besides her mother, or Oliver or Marissa. 

Summer crumpled, burying her face in her hands and crying like she hadn't in years, shoulders shaking with every sob that escaped her lips. Marissa looked at her friend with growing concern. "Summer? Are you all right?" She questioned, trying to lean forward but the growing ache in her back stopping her from doing so. 

Ignoring her words, Summer continued to cry, sucking in deep breathes, unable to stop herself and not really wanting to. Seth got to his feet, putting his hand on her shoulder but she just recoiled and pulled further away from him, pressing herself against the wooden hand rests of the chair. "Summer, what's the matter?" He didn't know what to do, he'd never seen her act like this before. "Summer." She continued to sob. 

Marissa watched her friend with eyes wide with worry; Summer had never been one to cry, especially not in front of anyone because the one thing her dad had managed to teach her whenever he had been around was that it was never good to show weakness. And Summer hadn't gotten to be one of the popular and respected girls at school by showing how much certain things bothered her; strength was a Roberts virtue. But now, Summer was completely lost in her sobs, shuddering and shaking as though she was seeing something that really frightened her. Something no one else could see. 

As Marissa, Seth and Ryan continued to watch Summer, unsure of what to do or what was going on, Marissa's doctor, Dr. Browning, walked into the room, holding a clipboard under his arm and a slight smile on his face. He had good news for his patient but it looked like he would have to wait to give it to her; his eyes settled on Summer and he set his clipboard aside, walking over to her. "What happened?" Browning questioned, looking at Ryan since he seemed to be the teenager that always had something to say. 

"I'm not quite sure." Ryan answered, continuing to look at Summer and Seth, who looked more confused and worried then he had ever seen him look before. "Marissa's balloon popped and then she flipped out, for lack of a better term." 

Browning looked at Summer, who was shaking more then she was crying now, and asked, "Was she with you when you were shot?" He looked at Marissa and she nodded. "I'm not really an expert, but I think your friend needs a therapist." He remarked, causal because his years as a doctor had left him unable to deliver grave news with a grave attitude. It was all the same to him, something that he wasn't proud of but couldn't help. 

Seth looked up at him. "Why? What's wrong with her?" He asked, helpless, remaining by Summer's side as she continued to draw in deep breathes, as though she was trying to gain control of her herself. 

"Like I said, I'm no expert, psychology isn't my field of study but your friend might be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress." Browning answered, offhandedly, kneeling down in front of Summer. "Miss-" 

"Her name's Summer." Marissa interjected, searching her memory for the diagnosis that the doctor had just given her friend. She had taken a psychology class during her freshmen year and was almost certain that they had at least talked about Post Traumatic Stress but she couldn't remember exactly what it meant. 

Browning managed to convince Summer to get to her feet and she allowed him to lead her out of the room; Seth followed, worried, ignoring his mother's questions as he walked beside Summer. "Where are you taking her?" He questioned, looking worriedly from the girl to the doctor. 

"We have a therapist on call, and I think she might be able to calm your friend down." Browning answered. 

The office was on the third floor, which was the floor they were on, the trauma unit, and Seth figured that was because the people that would need the most therapy would be on this floor. Browning escorted Summer into the room but slammed the door in Seth's face before he could follow without another word. Seth was shocked and even a little hurt but the doctor's action but he was too worried about Summer to think much about anything else. What was wrong with her? And what the hell was Post Traumatic Stress? It didn't sound very promising. 

But all Seth could do was sit outside the office and wait for Summer to return. He knew there was nothing else he could do, but it wasn't going to be easy. And so, Seth sat down on the floor with his back against the wall, waiting for the woman that he loved. 

The city of Los Angeles was long at her back but Hailey Nichol couldn't help but constantly look out the grimy, dirt covered window of the bus she was on, constantly checking just to make sure. Her face was hidden by her long, sugar-brown locks but she could see her reflection in the window whenever she turned to assure herself that the city was in the distance and she didn't like what she saw. 

Hailey had been on the rattling bus bound for New Port since five that morning and had been glancing behind her shoulder ever since. She was still shaking, even though he was miles behind her; she hated that he could have the effect on her. 

But he was back in Los Angeles and she was going to be in New Port within the hour. Everything would be all right in New Port. She hoped. 

So, I know this wasn't the best chapter, but I just wanted to get it posted since the reviews for this story have been so great. I also wanted to establish why we haven't been seeing a lot of Summer lately. I hope it was good enough; I'll try and have the next chapter soon. 


	11. The Black Sheep

Chapter Eleven

The Black Sheep

Ryan and Marissa were speculating over what was wrong with Summer -or more, Marissa was confessing how worried she was for her friend while throwing out theories on what had happened to her while Ryan held her hand and nodded at the appropriate times- when Dr. Browning returned without Summer and Seth followed him. Marissa instantly turned her attention to him. "Where's Summer? Is she all right?" She questioned.

Dr. Browning didn't give her a straight answer. "I took her to visit the on call therapist." He said. "We'll hear back soon enough." Browning retrieved the clipboard he had set aside earlier. "Now, the real reason I stopped by was to tell you that the doctors that would be able to perform your operation have an opening in their schedules tomorrow afternoon. I went ahead and scheduled your operation for that time." He explained.

As Marissa listened to what he was saying, she was unsure of how to react; if the operation was successful, she would be able to walk again, tomorrow, and that thought sent excitement coursing through her body. However, if the operation didn't work, then she'd never be able to walk again; she never thought that her future would be in the hands of a handful of people she had never even met.

Despite these thoughts running through her mind, Marissa forced a smile to spread across her face. "That's great." She said, hoping that she sounded sincere because a part of her was. But more of her was nervous, frightened even and she hoped that that part didn't show.

Ryan smiled at her and he didn't seem to see the misgiving in her eyes. He looked so certain that everything was going to turn out all right that Marissa was almost certain as well.

A few more words passed between them before Browning left the room; Ryan turned to look at Marissa, a smile still on his face. "See, everything's going to turn out all right." He assured her. Marissa could only nod halfheartedly. "This is just the first step before everything starts to go back to normal." He almost looked like he believed what he was saying.

But Marissa didn't really believe her operation was going to fix everything. If this was the first step, it was the first of many.

Shortly after the doctor left the room, the Cohens and Coopers entered, some looking more worried then others; Julie still looked like the fact that she had spent two nights in a hospital with her daughter hadn't sunken in yet and she sat down in the chair that Summer had left unoccupied, smiling at Marissa.

Kirsten instantly headed over to Ryan. "What happened to Summer? I saw her and Seth leave with Marissa's doctor but Seth wouldn't tell me what was going on." She questioned, looking concerned.

"Summer had some sort of breakdown." Ryan answered. "The doctor took her to some therapist and Seth went with her."

Marissa looked even more nervous and worried at the mention of Summer. "I hope she's all right." She mumbled, more to herself then to anyone else. Ryan offered her a wane, yet still comforting smile but Marissa didn't return the gesture. She didn't feel much like smiling at the moment.

Julie entered the room a moment later with a smile on her face that was halfway to creepy. "Guess who came to visit you, Marissa?" She questioned and everyone in the room turned to look toward the doorway. No one seemed very interested. The smile didn't disappear from Julie's face. "Luke." The woman announced.

As soon as she had spoken, Luke Ward entered the room with a smile on his face, bouquet of flowers in his hand, feeling much like he was performing in a play. Only yesterday had he been told that Marissa was in the hospital and had arrived to visit her as soon as he could. "Hey Marissa, how are you doing?"

There was a moment of silence as everyone waited to see what Marissa would say; if she decided to tell him about her impending operation and the fact that she might never walk again, then it was her decision and no one else would make it for her. "I'm all right." She answered. "Aside from the obvious."

Luke handed her the flowers, which she set on the bedside table with the other bouquets she had been brought recently. The silence continued, only now it was an awkward sort of silence; Kirsten was almost relieved when her cell phone starting jingling in her purse. "Excuse me." She quickly exited the room even as she pulled the phone out.

"So, when are you getting out of this place, Marissa?" Luke questioned, trying to lighten up the mood even though it was nearly impossible to do so.

Marissa shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." She answered. "Whenever they decided that they're tired of my company I guess." Right now she was tired of Luke's company and everyone's company except for Ryan's when you got down to it.

Luke seemed to sense her weariness and impatience with nearly everyone in the room because he said, "I think I'll go down to the vending machines, does anybody else want anything?" No one did and he left.

Marissa looked over at Jimmy, Sandy and Julie and decided now was a good a time as any to tell them about the fact that her operation was a lot sooner then they had all anticipated. "So, the doctor said that I can have my operation tomorrow." She remarked lightly, as though she was saying something about the weather.

Jimmy's eyes lit up. "Really, honey? That's great." He grinned and suddenly Marissa let herself smile a little as well. Just like with Ryan, she felt assured when her father seemed certain that everything was going to be all right.

"Then we can start to put this whole thing behind us." Julie muttered, so low that Marissa almost didn't hear what she had said. But she heard none-the-same and almost couldn't believe it; how did her mother think that everything was going to go away once she was able to walk again? Oliver was still dead, Summer was still suffering from some unfathomable mind trauma and she would always have the scars, they all would, in a way. This wasn't just going to go away but obviously Julie Cooper couldn't see that fact and, as bad as Marissa wanted to inform her, she couldn't bring herself to do so. A part of her wanted everything to go away as well.

Kirsten answered her cell phone as soon as she stepped out of Marissa's hospital room, despite the _No Cell Phones Please _signs posted all around and the stern looks the doctors gave to her. She wished she had let it ring, however, when she saw that the caller was her father, Caleb Nichol.

"Hi Dad." She answered wearily. "What do you want?"

"And I fine hello to you too, Kirsten." Caleb responded just as wearily. Their relationship had not improved over the years and, if anything, was getting worse. "I was just calling to see why my favorite employee wasn't at one of the most important meetings of the year."

Kirsten sighed; had the meeting with Wolfram & Hart, one of the most important real estate agencies in the Los Angeles area really been today? With all the drama going on with Marissa she had been preoccupied, as she should have been, and all thoughts of work and especially her father had slipped her mind.

"That was today?" Kirsten muttered as she headed out of the hospital and into the parking lot, where cell phone use wasn't frowned upon.

Caleb's tone changed immediately. "Don't give me any of that crap, Kirsten." He snapped and she knew that the meeting hadn't gone well. "You knew very well that the meeting was today."

"I was at the hospital, I really did forget." Even though she was in her thirties, Kirsten always felt like she was defending herself in front of her father. It wasn't a feeling that she liked and knew that her father enjoyed making her feel that way.

There was silence for a moment. "The hospital?" Caleb repeated. "Why were you at the hospital?"

Kirsten realized then that no one had had the time to mention to Caleb that Marissa had been shot, Oliver had killed himself and they had all pretty much set up shop in Lakeview Hospital for the time being. He would have wanted to know that the daughter of his ex-flame was suffering from a gun shot wound. "Marissa's in the hospital." She informed him. "That kid Oliver shot her a couple of days ago."

"What? When did all of this happen?" Caleb questioned. "I hope that Oliver is being properly punished."

Kirsten sighed, that was her father, always thinking of the wrong after effects. "Oliver's dead, he shot himself after he shot Marissa." She told him. "Is that punishment enough for you?"

Caleb didn't seem phased by her words. "Would you please tell Julie that I'll be by later." He requested. "To visit Marissa." He added almost as an after thought.

"Sure." Kirsten mumbled, though she wasn't quite sure she would. If she forget, then she forget, what was she supposed to do about her faulty memory. But she knew that forgetting to tell Julie that Caleb was stopping by wasn't going to keep Caleb from stopping by.

Before her father hung up, Kirsten said, "How was the meeting?" She didn't know if she was actually curious or if she just wanted to push Caleb's buttons.

Caleb muttered something, though it sounded more like a disgruntled nose and hung up the phone. "That bad huh?" Kirsten muttered to herself as she flipped her phone closed and slipped it back into her purse. She headed back into the hospital and returned to Marissa's room shortly after Luke had left to go to the vending machines.

"That was Caleb." Kirsten said when the occupants of the room turned to look at her when she entered. "He wanted me to tell you that he's stopping by later." She spoke to Marissa instead of Julie as the man had wanted but there was no mistaking the look on Julie's face at her words.

"Fantastic." Julie beamed. "It's been a while since I've seen him."

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "It's been two days." He pointed out, gruffly. He had never liked Caleb, not when he was Kirsten's father and even less when he was his ex-wife's lover. "I think we could all go a little longer without seeing that man." Sandy laughed under his breath, signaling his agreement with the man's words.

Kirsten looked at the two men, as though instructing them to play nice, even though she didn't entirely disagree with them. Julie didn't seem to notice their words or, if she did, she didn't seem to mind. She was too intrigued at seeing Caleb because a part of her wondered whether or not he was coming to visit Marissa to see her. She hoped it was the latter.

Marissa and Ryan watched the whole exchange in silence, slightly more amused then they would have let on; one of the things Ryan liked about life in New Port was that every little thing was like a scene right out of a soap opera, his current situation included. Marissa just liked to see the adults that she actually cared for poking fun at her mother, who was mostly too dumb to realize it, who she was trying to learn to love. But loving a woman like Julie Cooper was a difficult thing to do, something that she had known for a rather long time.

"I wonder if Cal's had lunch yet." Julie mused to herself, though she was speaking aloud. She was weighing her chances of being taken to a fancy restaurant as Caleb tried to comfort her about the current state of her daughter. Perhaps she had best work on her worried face and some tears to go with it; but not too many tears, they were smudge her makeup.

Jimmy looked at her with an unreadable expression; he had been married to the woman for nearly eighteen years and knew exactly how to read between the lines of what she said. And so, it didn't take him long to figure that she was more concerned about Caleb's dining habits then her own daughter. Seeing a confrontation building, Kirsten deciding to intervene, at least for the time being. "Wow, I had no idea how late it was." She said, sounding much like a contestant on a game show that was trying to go for surprised and excited when all they had won was cookware. "Sandy, maybe you and I should go home and make lunch for everyone."

Marissa smiled slightly at Kirsten's suggestion. "That would be great, I'm so tired of eating this crappy hospital food." She wrinkled her nose at the thought of it. Ryan couldn't help but smile at her expression, it was so much like the old Marissa.

"All right then, we'll be back as soon as we can." Kirsten said and prodded Sandy to make sure that he knew that he was a part of we. "And if Seth comes back, tell him I went home to fix lunch." Ryan nodded.

Kirsten and Sandy left the hospital room and as they headed down the hallway, they could hear the beginnings of another one of Jimmy's comments about Caleb. "Great, the gruesome twosome back together." Sandy remarked. "Just what we all need right now."

Kirsten punched him lightly on the arm but she had a smile on her face as she did so. Everyone, with the exception of Julie, in New Port felt the same way about Caleb Nichol and she wasn't going to go out of her way to deny it. The Cohens managed to make it out of the building without bringing up the gruesome twosome again and rode most of the ride home in contented silence.

As Sandy pulled the SUV onto their street, he turned to his wife and asked, "So, have you managed to figure out what's been bothering you so much about Hailey?" He didn't know why he was bringing it up again but he had just the same.

Kirsten didn't answer right away and the SUV was in front of their house before she even spoke. "No, but I think I'm starting to have an idea." Her eyes were fixed directly ahead and Sandy followed her line of sight.

Sitting on the front stoop, with only a small duffel bag at her feet, was Hailey Nichol, her hair cascading across her face, obscuring it from view, but it was easy for Kirsten to tell that it was her sister sitting in front of the door. Kirsten saw her sister but for a moment, didn't believe it was actually Hailey; the Hailey she knew always had her head up and smile on her face, or if not a smile then at least some retort that made the person on the receiving end of the words not too happy. But this Hailey certainly wasn't smiling and looked like a crumpled, broken shell of that proud and smart girl that she had once been. And that was how Kirsten knew something was really wrong.

"Hailey?" Kirsten said as soon as she left the car, not seconds after it had pulled into the driveway. Her sister looked up, taking great pains, it appeared, to keep her hair over her face. "What are you doing here?" She meant the words to sound worried, not demanding and she wondered if they came out that way.

Hailey didn't answer, she didn't have to, because Kirsten saw the reason her little sister was hiding behind the only defense she had left. Hailey's right eye was black and purple, swollen almost completely shut and her cheeks were bruised as well; completing the picture of heartbreaking abuse was Hailey's split lip, which looked almost fresh.

"Hi Kirsten." Hailey muttered, not missing the shocked look on her sister's face. She knew very well what her sister was thinking: the black sheep of the Nichol family had come home again.

I tried to make this chapter a little longer, since it's been a while since I updated. Also, I know that the name of the real estate company Caleb and Kirsten had their meeting with is the company from _Angel, _but just try to forgive that fact. Anyway, review and let me know how you liked this new chapter! Thanks.


	12. More Questions Then Answers

Thanks again for all the great reviews!

Chapter Twelve  
More Questions Then Answers

Kirsten instantly knelt down in front of her little sister -her innocent, gentle, loving baby sister- and felt tears prick the corners of her eyes at the sight of her. How could anyone do this to Hailey, who would be so cruel? "Hailey, what happened to you?" She brushed some of Hailey's hair away from her face but her sister pulled her head sharply to the side so that her face was hidden again.

"Sorry to show up like this," Hailey said instead. "I didn't have anywhere else to go."

"You can always come here, Hailey." Sandy remarked from where he was standing behind Kirsten. He had seen her face in the split second before she had moved her head and wondered what had happened to the girl. Hailey offered him a wane smile, but it obviously caused her some pain to do so, judging by the way she winced.

Kirsten took her sister's hands. "I'm glad you came here, Hailey." She added, wondering what would have become of her little sister if she hadn't come here. Would she still be wherever she had been, being beaten by however was cruel enough to raise a hand to her?

Hailey felt tears threaten to spill but blinked them away before they could do so; she had learned on the bus that crying only hurt her eye even worse. Instead, she embraced her sister, something she hadn't done in years, not since their mother had died. Kirsten returned the embrace, hugging her tightly and it seemed like all of the years they hadn't got along, all the fight's they'd had, were suddenly washed away.

When the embrace was finally broken, Hailey pulled away and let Kirsten get a decent look at the bruised and bumps that covered her face. "Hailey, who did this to you?" She questioned, gingerly touching the side of the girl's eye, pulling away when her sister winced again.

"Just some jerk." Was the only answer Hailey would mumble. She looked down at her feet and the lone suitcase beside them. How was she supposed to tell her sister about what she had allowed to happen to her for months, before finally smarting up and leaving? What would Kirsten think? It was easy for Kirsten to say 'you should have left the second he hit you' or 'you should have called the police' because she had never been in the situation she had just escaped from. She had tried to do those things but they only made things much worse.

Sandy placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, a silent signal that Kirsten had come to understand meant that she shouldn't press. "We were just about to make lunch, Hailey, why don't you help us." He suggested.

Hailey seemed grateful for the change of subject. She got to her feet, picking up her suitcase and followed Kirsten and Sandy into the house. The first thing she noticed was how silent it was; there wasn't the sound of video game characters being mutilated or Seth rattling on about nonsense stuff. It just wasn't natural. "Where is everybody?" She questioned as she shut the door behind her.

Kirsten sighed. "Everyone's at the hospital." She answered and a look of shock instantly crossed Hailey's face. "It's a long story."

"Apparently so." Hailey muttered, wondering just who was at the hospital. It couldn't be Seth, otherwise Kirsten and Sandy never would have left his side and it probably wasn't Ryan either, because he was slowly becoming like a son to the Cohens. A slight smile turned up the corners of her lips as the thought of Julie Cooper, lying in a body cast in a hospital bed but the pain that it caused her to smile forced the expression off her face before anyone could see it.

Hailey followed Kirsten into the kitchen while Sandy walked over to the answering machine to see if there were any messages. "So, who's in the hospital?" She questioned as she watched her sister rummaged around the refrigerator, looking for something to make lunch with.

"Marissa." Kirsten answered. "Do you remember that kid Oliver? The only that was obsessed with Marissa but no one could see it but Ryan?"

Hailey nodded. She remembered hearing something about it on New Year's Eve. "Well, he kidnapped Marissa in his penthouse and few days ago and Ryan, Seth and the girls went to go rescue her but before they could get into the room, he shot Marissa in the back. And now she might be paralyzed. Then, he shot himself."

Hailey let the story sink in; maybe these kids in New Port had it just as rough as she did back in L.A. "Is Marissa going to be all right?" She asked.

"I hope so." Kirsten muttered. "I really hope so."

Hailey took out a loaf of bread from the bread box and untwisted the red tie that held the plastic bag shut. She thought about Marissa and thinking of Marissa intailed thinking of her father, she figured there was nothing she could do to keep from thinking of the man. But was there something she could do to keep her heart from skipping a beat when she thought of Jimmy, feeling butterflies flutter in her stomach for a moment? Kirsten walked over to stand beside her with her arms loaded with cold cuts, cheese, condiments and anything else needed to make a sandwich.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened to you?" Kirsten asked as she unscrewed the lid to the peanut butter jar. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches had always been Marissa's favorite and she figured it would be welcoming to have something so familiar in an unfamiliar situation and place. Even if that something familiar was just a sandwich.

Hailey frowned; she had known that the question was coming sooner or later, but she had always hoped it would be later and not sooner. "It doesn't matter." She muttered.

Kirsten turned to look at her. "Yes, Hailey, it does matter." She said, eyes filled with worry for her sister and confusion for her actions. "Whoever hit you can't just be free to hit someone else. And it's more then that, you're my sister Hailey and I love you...why didn't you come earlier?"

"I couldn't all right." Hailey whispered. "I just couldn't." She handed her sister two pieces of bread. "Can we not talk about this now, _please?_" She looked at Kirsten with imploring eyes.

Kirsten forced herself to nod; forcing Hailey to talk was the same as forcing her away, something their father had never learned. They stood in silence for a moment, with Hailey making her own sandwich -her stomach growling every time she even though about lunch, she hadn't eaten in almost twenty-four hours- and Kirsten finishing Marissa's sandwiches and starting on lunch for Seth and Ryan.

Finally Hailey spoke again. "I want to go to the hospital to see Marissa." She remarked, though her words weren't entirely true. Sure, she wanted to visit the girl and see that she was all right but she also wanted to see Jimmy; it had been so long since she had last seen him and whether she wanted to admit it or not, her heart ached for him. There weren't a lot of men out there like Jimmy Cooper, something she had learned the hard way.

Kirsten looked at her sister out of the corner of her eye and raised an eyebrow, almost as though she could sense what Hailey was thinking about it. She had never been able to fully decide what her sister saw in Jimmy Cooper and because of that she had never been able to decide whether or not she should do something to intervene, to protect her dear friend for her sister who had made it a habit in high school to hurt boys just because she could. That was something Jimmy knew and even Hailey herself knew and that always gave Kirsten pause; could it be that her sister was really in love? Or if not in love then at least thinking about it? "To see Marissa?" Kirsten repeated, sounding almost skeptical.

"Yeah." Hailey looked at her like she had suddenly be struck dumb. "Why else would I want to go?" The flash that passed to her eye -the good one, that is, the one that Kirsten could actually see- dared her sister to say otherwise.

"No reason." Kirsten muttered, trying to decide whether or not to mention Jimmy. "Just curious."

Hailey returned her attention to spreading mustard across her second sandwich -she had already eaten the first as soon as she had put the bread slices together- and thought about asking Kirsten how Jimmy was these days. But she decided against it (it would be too obvious); she was going to see for herself soon enough.

Seth was still sitting outside in the hallway in front of the door that Summer had disappeared behind nearly thirty minutes ago when the door finally swung open and Summer emerged. He leapt to his feet instantly and went to her, feeling his heart lurch when he saw that she still looked lost and frightened, staring at the ground even after he look her hands. "Summer, are you okay?" Seth questioned and there was no answer.

Summer kept her eyes directed towards the floor, unwilling to look at the worry laced upon Seth's face, worry for her. She allowed him to hold onto her hands because she couldn't bare the thought of being completely alone, of ever being without him. He was the only light that managed to penetrate through the darkness that had suddenly and quickly engulfed her.

The female therapist, Dr. Melissa Walker, that had spent the last thirty minutes with Summer trying to get the girl to even look at her, stepped out of the room as well and shut the door behind her. She looked and Seth and guessed, "You must be her boyfriend."

Seth nodded, not taking his eyes off Summer; she felt him staring at her and finally looked up at him, gazing in his eyes that expressed nothing but love for her. "Is she going to be all right?" Seth questioned, looking over at the doctor for a split second before returning Summer's gaze.

"Well, just as Dr. Browning had suspected, Summer is indeed experiencing Post Traumatic Stress. Now, some victims of this 'disease' do recover and go on to lead lives that aren't effected very much by the event that caused the Post Traumatic Stress to develop in the first place." Dr. Walker explained. "But that's only with therapy and a good support system."

Seth listened to her words with as much concentration as he could manage, most of his mind only on Summer. "That won't be a problem." He assured the woman. He would be there for Summer no matter what she needed or when, just like he had been most of his life.

Dr. Melissa Walker wasn't too concerned about that either; it wasn't difficult to see just how much Seth loved Summer, even in the short time she had seen them together. "I'd like Summer to continue undergoing therapy with me in the hospital." She continued. "Do you think that's possible."

Seth nodded. "Sure. Her dad won't really mind, he's never home anyway." He answered, offering a wane smile to Summer, who continued to look at him with sorrowful eyes.

Walker nodded. "Good." She looked at Summer, who didn't show her any attention. "I'll see you tomorrow, Summer." She said but once again there was no response. Walker wasn't surprised; she had dealt mainly with patients just like Summer and knew what it took to help them through the nightmares they constantly lived through in their heads.

Seth slipped his arm around Summer's waist as they started back toward Marissa's hospital room and she laced her fingers with his, holding onto his hand tightly. "Don't worry, Summer, everything's going to be all right." He assured her.

"I want to go home." Summer muttered, looking down at her feet again. She just wanted to be out of the hospital, it reminded her too much of her mother. "Do you think you can take me home?"

Seth nodded. "Of course." He answered.

But when they got back to Marissa's room, he was shocked to find that his parents -and, of course, his way to take Summer home- weren't anywhere around. "They went home to fix lunch." Ryan explained after Marissa had finished gushing over Summer, to which Summer had remained mostly silent

"Damn it." Seth grumbled. He looked over at Summer, who continued to silently implore him with her eyes for him to take her home. "Do you think your dad is home?"

"My dad..." Summer repeated, searching her mind for her father's work schedule. "He might be." She decided finally, trying to remember if her father had said that he was working from home today.

Seth nodded. "Okay, we'll use the pay phone to call him." He suggested. "Then he can come take you home."

Summer nodded; all she wanted to do was curl up on her bed and lay there in the dark for hours. She took Seth's hand again as they walked out of the room again and toward the pay phone that hung in the hallway below a sign that read _For Emergencies Only. _If that wasn't an emergency, then Seth didn't know what was.

Marissa watched her friend disappear again with an even deeper frown on her face; it always seemed like when things went right, they happened sporadically but when everything went wrong, all hell broke loose at the same time. Ryan held her hand tightly, comfortingly, and she looked at him with a lost expression on her face. "Don't worry." Ryan said, reading her emotion instantly. "She'll be all right and you'll be all right. Everything is going to sort itself out."

Out in the hallway, Seth took the phone off its hook and started dialing the number to Summer's house, the phone tucked between his shoulder and cheek, since he had only one free hand to dial with because Summer was clinging tightly to the other.

Summer's father, Ian Roberts, picked up on the second ring, sounded tired and gruff, like a well-worked business man. "Ian Roberts speaking." He answered and Seth cleared his throat. He had never really met Summer's father and he didn't sound like a pleasant fellow.

"Hello Mr. Roberts." Seth began, using his 'polite phone voice' that his mother had drilled into his head when he was five. "This is Seth Cohen, Summer's friend and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming to the Lakeview Hospital to pick up Summer." The words all came out in a rush, sounding much like one long word.

There was only a beat of silence. "The hospital?" Ian repeated, sounding instantly worried. "What's wrong with Summer?"

Seth glanced over at the dark-haired girl, who was staring at the phone with little interest. "It's nothing physically serious." He assured the man. "But I'm sure Summer would rather tell you herself. I'd take her home but my parents took the car."

"Maybe you should tell me." Ian commanded, sounding worried no longer but now upset, as though Seth had something to do with his only daughter being in the hospital.

Seth cleared his throat again, nervously. "Well, after the accident with Oliver and Marissa, the doctors say that Summer is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress as a result of seeing Marissa shot and Oliver shoot himself and-"

As soon as the mention of guns being fired, Ian's tone changed and he said, "I'll be there as soon as I can. Tell her I'm on my way." Seth was about to offer the phone to Summer but the other line went dead before he could even move.

Seth hung up the phone again and turned to look at Summer. "He's on his way." He explained. Summer looked relieved.

"Thank you, for everything." She muttered to him as they started back down the hallway, this time heading for the elevators.

Seth looked at her, giving her a smile. "Hey, don't mention it." He told her. "If you need anything, I'll be here." He assured her and Summer managed a very slight smile at his words.

Summer and Seth sat on the concrete wall that surrounded the planting bed and created a makeshift chair; even after they had sat down, Summer continued to hold onto Seth's hand, feeling comfort in the way their fingered laced together. She didn't let go until her father's sleek, black Escalade pulled into the parking lot of the Lakeview Hospital and bumped along side the curb.

Ian Roberts got out of the driver's seat and walked over to where Summer was now standing, a strange mixture of emotions washing across her face. Her father pulled her into his arms and the only remaining Roberts family members shared a moment that Seth would never fully understand, even after Summer would explain the complete story to him days from now. "It's all right, Summer." Ian whispered once the embrace had been broken.

Seth looked from daughter to father and then back again, his eyes fixed on Summer's beautiful but confused face. "Do you want me to come with you?" He questioned but Ian answered for the girl.

"I think we can handle it from her, Sean." He muttered.

"It's Seth." The boy pointed out as he watched Ian open the passenger door for his daughter. "I'll call you later, Summer, okay?" Seth said just as the door shut.

Ian didn't say anything as he climbed back into the car and slammed his own door shut. Seth wondered if there was something that the man -or Summer herself- wasn't telling him, something that had to do with the way they acted. But it was too late to ask them about it now, seeing as the Escalade was already halfway out of the parking lot.

Seth was still thinking about what it could possibly be, if there was anything at all, when all he could see of the car were the taillights.


	13. Living on a Prayer

Chapter Thirteen

Living on a Prayer

When Seth returned to Marissa's hospital room, he was dejected, worried and alone. All of these things Ryan picked up on as soon as his friend entered the room. "What happened to Summer, man?" He questioned and Marissa looked over at the boy as well. Summer was her best friend and she was more confused about what was going on with the girl then she was actually worried about her; she was stuck in a hospital bed, there wasn't a whole lot she could do anyway.

"Her dad came and picked her up." Seth answered. Jimmy and Julie were focused on him as well, though Julie looked more bored then anything else, still imagining the romantic lunch Caleb would whisk her away to. "I can't help but feel like he's keeping something from me."

"What would Summer's dad be hiding from you?" Marissa questioned.

For the first time since they had known each other, Julie and Jimmy shared a look that said that they were thinking the same thing; they both knew in the bottom of their hearts just what Ian Roberts, and Summer in turn, was hiding from the kids but it wasn't their place to actually say something. If Ian wanted to share the fate of his wife and Summer wanted to tell Seth what had happened to her mother all those years before then they were welcome to it but the once married Coopers were going to keep their mouths shut until that time rolled around.

Seth dropped down into a chair beside Ryan and sighed, burying his face in his hands in a moment of complete hopelessness. "I wish there was something I could do, you know? Something to let her know that everything's going to be all right."

Marissa nodded and Ryan knew that she understood the desire to be reassured that things were going to turn out all right, no matter how dark the night seemed at the time. He took her hand again and kissed her knuckles, smiling at the girl that he loved; he was trying his hardest to assure Marissa that there was light at the end of the tunnel and the night always gave way to the morning. But sometimes, those things could only be understood once they had happened.

While Kirsten wrapped everyone's sandwiches in foil, Hailey headed up to her sister's bathroom to do her best to conceal the bruises and bumps on her face. Looking at herself in the mirror, she wasn't impressed; she was staring at the face of a woman that had given up, that had just curled into a ball and let things happen to her. Was that the woman that she had become in Los Angles? Hailey didn't really want to know.

Hailey reached out with her fingers and touched the reflection of her face, her fingers playing upon her swollen eye and split lip. "You're an idiot, you know that right?" She told the face in the mirror. "How could you let him do those things to do?" Her reflection offered no answer and she couldn't supply one for herself.

With a sigh, Hailey resumed her search for a miracle cover-up

but she doubted that anything her sister had would work the wonders that she needed. Kirsten had never had to conceal a black eye and a bruised cheek; she bought her concealer for dinner parties, no to hide beatings.

As she searched, she wondered if she was going to run into Jimmy at the hospital. It seemed highly likely, since his daughter was the one in the hospital and Hailey wasn't quite sure if she was looking forward to the meeting. What was she going to say to him? How was she going to explain why she had left and what had happened to her in those months since she had been gone? What was he going to say when he saw her?

Hailey finally uncovered a bottle of concealer from Kirsten's college days when she had flirted with becoming a thespian; stage makeup was always so much thicker and stronger then regular makeup. Though she had been applying makeup all her life, it still took her a good twenty minutes to get the concealer to do exactly what she wanted but when she was finally finished, Hailey was proud of the final result. You couldn't even see the bruises on her cheeks, her eye could pass from being puffy from exhaustion and the lip wasn't that noticeable. She just had to remember not to bite down on her lip, something she always did when she was nervous. And the thought of seeing Jimmy again was making her plenty nervous.

Doing a last check, Hailey finally slunk away from the mirror and heading back downstairs. Kirsten and Sandy were waiting for her in the living room; Kirsten actually did a double take when she saw her sister. "Hailey, you look like a new person." She pointed out. "I guess my makeup isn't as cheap as I thought."

Hailey didn't say anything and silently helped Kirsten carrying everyone's lunch out to the SUV. She noticed that one of the sandwiches was a peanut butter and banana one, which happened to be Jimmy's favorite; so there was no getting out of it now, she was going to be seeing him at the hospital.

The ride back to the hospital was taken in silence, just as most of the rides seemed to go, with everyone too deep in their own thoughts to even fake conversations. Kirsten found herself thinking of Hailey, which was too be expected, but what wasn't expected was that she was thinking about her sister and Jimmy, instead of who had hit Hailey wherever she had been. She supposed it was just a natural, big sister thing but she was more protective over Jimmy then her own sister. Kirsten knew that Jimmy was a good guy, she'd known this for most of her life and that was why she didn't want Hailey to come blowing in, get his hopes up and tear them down again when she blew back out of town.

Kirsten thought about asking Hailey just what her plans were but when she turned around to face her sister, she saw the lost look in the girl's eyes that silenced her words. Hailey was staring down at her feet, eyes round with thought and sorrow and Kirsten couldn't believe she had ever thought that her sister was anything but a good person. So what if she couldn't stay in one place for very long, her sister needed her right now and how was she helping her? By worrying more about Jimmy's feelings, that's how. She reached out and put a hand on Hailey's knee, startling the girl. "Are you all right, Hailey?" Kirsten asked, face creased with worry.

"Sure." Hailey assured her, sounding almost just like Summer to Kirsten at that moment. "Or at least, I will be now." _Now that I'm home_, Hailey thought but didn't say. It still amazed her how quickly she had begun to think of New Port as home, even though she hadn't been there for an hour.

Maybe that was just a sign that things would be all right.

"I really think I should try and cheer up Summer." Seth was saying. Julie rolled her eyes; she was sick and tired of hearing about Summer. If Seth was so worried about her, couldn't he just keep his mouth shut about it? Maybe that was what had driven the girl crazy in the first place, his never ending mouth. "You know, just to let her know that I'm here for her."

Julie rubbed her temples and sighed; how did Kirsten and Sandy put up with this kid? "Just send her a card." She grumbled. "Or better yet, get out of here and call her on the phone. But for God's sake, just shut up about it."

Jimmy frowned in her direction. "You'll have to forgive Julie, Seth." He said. "She's not used to dealing with things that take emotion and sensitivity." Julie glared at him and Marissa cracked a smile.

"You'll think of something, Seth, it's what you do." Ryan pointed out. "You make people laugh." Seth actually smiled at this comment; he was proud of that fact, proud to be the one to always make someone smile. If only he could make Summer smile now.

Marissa laid back against the pile of pillows that were keeping her from laying flat on her back and thought about Summer. She had seen her friend's eyes, had seen how confused she had looked, how utterly lifeless and lost. It was going to take more then a joke, even told by Seth Cohen, to get her to smile again. And the idea came to her so suddenly that she was surprised a little light bulb didn't _ding _above her head.

"Seth, do you know what Summer's favorite movie is?" Marissa questioned and both of the boys looked in her direction. Ryan raised an eyebrow; it seemed like a very random question but he could tell that she was going somewhere with this.

Seth didn't even have to think about his answer; he'd been in love with Summer since kindergarten after all, he should know her favorite movie. "_Say Anything. _Why?" Marissa asked him then what her favorite part was and Seth was finally beginning to see the purpose in this impromptu game of 20 Questions. "The part when John Cusack holds the stereo above his head in front of that girl's bedroom."

Julie looked at her daughter. "Marissa, honey, what are you babbling about?" She questioned, unable to see where this whole exchange was going.

"You'll see, Mother." Marissa answered curtly. "Just one more question, Seth, who's Summer's favorite singer?"

Seth thought for a minute; Summer was a typical woman, always changing her mind, and music was something she was very fickle about. One minute it was Evanescence, then it was Greenday. "Oh, Jon Bon Jovi." He said, remembering when they were in the fourth grade and Summer had sworn that she would marry Jon Bon Jovi one day. Sure it had been the fourth grade but she had never said that about any other singers.

Marissa actually looked impressed. "So, I think you see where I'm going with this." She smiled, hoping that Seth was on the same mind link. If anything could get Summer out of the doldrums she had fallen into, it would be Seth Cohen, imitating her favorite movie playing her favorite singer.

"I don't." Ryan said, looking from his girlfriend to his "brother." "Would one of you care to explain this brilliant plan?"

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Men have no imagination." She remarked. "Seth stands outside Summer's bedroom, playing Jon Bon Jovi, just like in _Say Anything. _At least it'll be hilariously romantic."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say hilariously romantic?" He questioned. "You sound like a bad movie critic." Marissa wrinkled her nose and playfully swatted at him.

A slight smile also tugged up the corners of Jimmy's lips; seeing Marissa actually smiling and joking with her friends was proof to him that things were going to be all right after all. All he had to do was look at the sparkle in his daughter's eyes to know that.

"That's great Marissa, but there's just one problem." Seth pointed out, causing Marissa and Ryan to look over at him again. "I don't have anyway to get to Summer's house."

That was something Marissa hadn't thought of. "I'm sure your parents will be back soon." Ryan said and Seth hoped so. Every second Summer spent in her current state was a second she should be spending with he friends, being happy and her old self. Seth hoped that Marissa's idea was enough to make Summer realize how much he cared and helped her remember how to smile.

Jimmy was about to offer to drive him to Summer's when Sandy walked into the room with Kirsten close behind. Seth looked over at his parents. "Oh good, okay, glad you're back, let's go to Summers." He said quickly, standing up.

Kirsten opened her mouth to say something but her words were drowned out by yelling in the hallway. "You run that cart into me and I'll make sure you're in the hospital!" Kirsten rolled her eyes and Jimmy felt his heart begin to beat a little faster. He knew that voice, there was no mistaking who had spoken.

Seconds later, Hailey entered the room, arms carrying the foil covered sandwiches. "Those women have no business being nurses." She grumbled, more to herself and noticed that the room seemed to have gone very quiet. She looked up and saw Jimmy staring at her and almost felt weak in the knees; why was it that her sister's ex boyfriend was the only person that could make her feel like a pre-pubescent girl again?

Jimmy stared a Hailey and suddenly his surprise passed and a smile spread across his face. "Hailey, it's great to see you." He wanted to walk up to her and give her a hug (and maybe a kiss for good measure); he wanted to say much more to her but he couldn't find the words to describe what he was feeling at that moment.

At the sight of Hailey, Julie narrowed her eyes and felt her headache return ten times worse. This was just what she needed right now. "So, the fact that you're back in New Port can only mean one thing." She began and the youngest Nichol girl looked in her direction. "That being a slut didn't work out and you're poor as usual."

"I see that you haven't changed, Julie, still a cold bitch." Hailey retorted evenly. "But I don't see daddy dearest around, so _you_ must have dropped slut from your résumé."

Julie took a step toward Hailey, and Jimmy put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from going any further. Ryan looked between the two women and wondered if one of them was going to end up in the hospital as well before the day was through. "So, Seth, about that Summer thing." He prodded, quickly intervening before Hailey or Julie could open their mouths again.

"Oh right," Seth turned to look at his mother again. "I need a ride to Summer's house."

"We were just at Summer's house." Kirsten pointed, watching her sister as though trying to gauge her reactions to both Julie and Jimmy. Whenever Hailey was around Jimmy, Julie was the wife she had never been when they had actually been married and she was sure that the ex Mrs. Copper wouldn't hesitate to give Hailey another black eye to match the one she already had.

Seth sighed. "I know, but there's just something I've got to do." He explained. "Actually, just drop me off at home and I'll walk to Summer's."

"I'll drive you Seth." Hailey offered, though she wasn't quite sure why. She had wanted to become reacquainted with Jimmy and visit Marissa (of course) but here she was, deciding to leave seconds after she had gotten there.

Julie actually looked triumphant upon hearing her words and Hailey wanted to slap the woman. Perhaps she would when she got back. Seth stood up and heading toward the door. "Thanks, Aunt Hailey." He was so eager to get to Summer's that he was already walking down the hallway, toward the elevator.

Hailey got the car keys from Sandy and turned in Jimmy's direction. "See you soon." She said, adding a slight smile for Julie's benefit, before following her nephew to the elevators.

Jimmy cleared his throat after the woman had gone. "So, Hailey's back in town." He mused.

Julie narrowed her eyes. "Down boy." She muttered and he shot her a look that suggested he was too pleased with her words.

It was Kirsten's turn to clear her throat. "Do you think we can try and be civil around the kids?" She gestured toward Ryan and Marissa.

"No, don't be civil on our account." Marissa assured them and Ryan smiled at her words. He knew what it was like to love and hate your mother at the same time.

Julie looked at her daughter but didn't say anything. She figured it was simply the pain killers talking.

"So, what do you have to do that's so important?" Hailey questioned as she piloted the Cohens bulky SUV out of the parking lot and down the street. She had just spoken to make conversation and really hoped that Seth would keep his answer short; she was too busy thinking about why she had agreed to drive her nephew to his girlfriend's. A part of her wondered if she had agreed because she wasn't ready to face Jimmy yet. _Whoa, don't get too deep on me, Hailey, _she thought to herself. But was it true?

"Just something for Summer." Seth answered, for once not his usual talkative self. "The doctor says that she's got Post Traumatic Stress."

Hailey frowned; things in New Port had definitely changed since the last time she had been in town. "She finally your girlfriend then?" She asked, trying to lighten the subject a little. Ever since Seth had been little, he had been telling her about how he was going to marry Summer Roberts but Summer had always ignored her nephew.

"It's hard to explain." Seth said and that was all he had to say on the subject.

Once Hailey had pulled into the driveway of the Cohen household, Seth turned to her and said, "I can just walk to Summer's, you can get back to the hospital and see Marissa's dad." A slight smile spread across his face.

Hailey was actually shocked by his words. "What makes you think I came here to see Jimmy?" She asked, wondering if everyone in New Port knew how she felt about Jimmy Cooper.

Seth just smiled, shutting the door before Hailey could attempt to force an answer out of him. With a sigh, Hailey shook her head, put the SUV into reverse and started the journey back to the Lakeview Hospital. If all of New Port really did know how she felt about Jimmy, then maybe they could clue her in because she wasn't quite sure what to make of the feelings swimming around her head; sure, she liked Jimmy a lot but she couldn't even think about having a relationship now. Not so soon after...after she had left L.A.

Once she managed to start sorting her life out again, maybe she'd be able to have a real relationship for the first time in her life. Hailey smiled at that thought; she'd definitely want it to be with Jimmy Cooper.

Seth unplugged his stereo from his room and made sure that there were batteries inside since he figured he wouldn't be able to plug it in. Finding a Jon Bon Jovi CD, however, was a little more difficult; he had never really cared for 80's music or anything that wasn't emo but luckily, his father had one Bon Jovi CD. Looking at the back of the CD case, Seth realized that he didn't know what song to play; what was Summer's favorite? Finally, he picked a song that his mom had sung to him when he was younger, the only Bon Jovi song he roughly knew the words to.

The stereo was a lot heavier then he had intended and Seth wished he had asked Hailey to stick around long enough to give him a ride. But somehow, he managed to lug the CD a block and a half over to Summer's house. Ian Roberts' car was sitting in the driveway and he wondered if the man was going to keep him from pulling off Operation Cheer-Up Summer (which was how he had been referring to it in his head on the way over as he ran through everything he was going to do.)

With a sigh, Seth sat the stereo on the lawn and felt his muscles relax; was he going to be able to hold the CD player over his head like in the movie? He sure hoped so. Gathering his nerves, he knocked on the front door and hoped that Summer would be the one to answer.

He wasn't surprised when Ian Roberts answered the door immediately; when he saw Seth, he made no move to hide the disdain on his face. "Yes?"

Seth cleared his throat, just as he always seemed to be doing around Summer's father. "Can I talk to Summer? Please." He added the last part as an afterthought.

"No." Ian answered almost before Seth could finish his request. "She's resting." The door was slammed before another word could be said.

Seth had been anticipating this; in fact, he had almost been hoping for it. This way, he could go ahead with Marissa's idea. He headed back to where he had set the stereo in front of the second story window that looked into Summer's room. The blinds were drawn and it appeared that the lights were off but Seth doubted Summer was asleep; it looked as though she hadn't slept since Marissa and Oliver had been shot.

His chest a basket of nervous flutters, Seth turned on the stereo, picked the right song on the CD and pressed _play. _It was more trouble then he had first anticipated, holding the CD player above his head and he almost dropped it twice. However, he managed to hold the stereo above his head, the song beginning to blast through the speakers, filling Summer's street with the sounds of Bon Jovi. Seth just hoped that Summer would be able to hear.

Summer sat on her bed, in the dark, with her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on her knees. All should get think about was going to the hospital to visit Marissa and how all the sights and smells had reminded her of waiting for news on her mother. And it wasn't Marissa she was seeing in her head, it was her mother, pale and wane, laying on a stretcher that was no longer white but crimson. All she could focus on was the lifeless look in her mother's eyes, the same look she saw when she looked in the mirror.

Suddenly, an instrumental beginning of a song started so suddenly that Summer actually jumped in surprise; the music sounded so loud and so close that she thought for a moment that it was coming from outside her window. But didn't make any sense, why would anyone be playing music out in her yard? And Bon Jovi, to be more specific. Still, Summer cocked her head with interest, looking toward the window but remaining where she was on her bed; listening to the beginning of the song -one of her favorites, "Living on a Prayer"- she forgot all about her mother for a moment.

Seth continued to watch Summer's window anxiously, hoping to see the curtains brushed back on her beautiful face appear. But the room remained dark and the window remained covered.

"_We've gotta hold on to what we've got, it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not." _Bon Jovi sang from the speakers and Seth knew the song was coming to the part that he knew. Maybe if he starting singing -though it really wouldn't be singing in his case, it would be more like yelling out the words- then Summer would finally come to the window. "We've got each other and that's a lot for love, we'll give it a shot!" Yes, yelling was certainly the way to describe his singing abilities.

"Oh," Seth mumbled the words following, searching his brain for the right lyrics. "Living on a prayer!"

There was still nothing from Summer's window.

Summer actually couldn't believe what she was hearing; was it possible that Seth Cohen was standing outside her window, trying to sing one of her favorite songs? It certainly sounded like his voice. She felt her heart skip a beat; had he come to cheer her up, to make her forget the nightmares that played on repeat in her head?

Because it was almost working.

From his study on the first level of the house, Ian Roberts looked up from the documents he was looking over at the sound of someone playing a song by that musician that his daughter liked but he had never really cared for. He took his glasses off his face and looked in the direction the song was coming from. What the hell was going on?

And suddenly, Ian realized that it was most certainly that Cohen brat, come to bother his daughter even more. Didn't he realize that _he _was the one that had gotten his daughter into the situation that had made all the memories of her mother come back? Whether he realized it or not, Ian blamed the Cohens only child for the hell his daughter was having to live through again.

And now Seth was making things worse but denying Summer the time that she needed alone, in peace, to rest and to sort things out in her head. Ian stood up, pushing his chair behind him, and started stalking toward the door.

"_Gina dreams of running away," _Bon Jovi explained through the speakers of Seth's CD player. His arms were getting tired and there was still no sign of Summer. "_She cries in the night and Tommy whispers:" _Seth knew the words to this part and shouted them completely for Summer's benefit. "Baby it's okay!"

Finally, the curtain was pushed away from the window and Summer appeared, looking down at him with a mixture of almost amusement and the same sorrowful look she always seemed to have on her face.

Summer looked down at Seth and felt tears prick her eyes; he was standing in her yard with the stereo above his head, just like in _Say Anything._ This was the boy that had always been in love with her, this was the boy the she had used to make life a living hell for. And this was the boy that was still in love with her, even after everything.

A smile spread across Seth's face and he sang, well more like yelled really, when you got down to it, "We've got each other and that's a lot! We'll give it a shot." A tear dropped onto Summer's cheek; Seth really did mean what he had said when he'd told her he'd always be there for her. He didn't know what she was going through, but that didn't matter to him.

Seth opened his mouth to shout out something to Summer, something that he had wanted to say to her ever since they were kids but his stopped when the front door was flung open and Ian Roberts came marching out. He didn't look very pleased.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Ian snapped, snatching the CD player out of Seth's hands and clicking it off. "Get out of my yard right now before I have you arrested for trespassing." He shoved the stereo back into Seth's hands.

"Sir, I just want to talk to Summer." Seth tried to explain, looking at the window to where Summer was still watching the whole scene unfold.

Ian took a step toward him and Seth stepped back; he didn't like the way Summer's dad looked like he was seconds away from forcefully removing him from his yard. "Leave my daughter alone, she doesn't need you bothering her all the time. Especially not now."

"Sir-" Seth was cut off when Ian took another step toward him. As he started backing off the yard, he looked up at Summer and shouted, "I love you Summer! And I'll always be here if you need me."

Ian started toward him again and Seth all but dashed off the yard, heading down the street away from Summer's house. He would have liked to think that Ian wouldn't have beaten up a sixteen-year-old boy but it hadn't looked very promising at that moment.

Summer watched him disappear, placing her hand on the glass of her window and wishing that she'd had the chance to talk to him. But her father was only doing what he thought was best for her, after all.

"Baby it's okay." Summer repeated, her voice nothing more then a whisper. "Someday."

_Of course, "Living on a Prayer" belongs to Jon Bon Jovi and the scene is from Say Anything (I haven't actually seen that movie). I thought this would be a cute little Seth scene, and I hope it wasn't too random. Anyway, thanks for all the great reviews, keep 'em up. _


	14. Polite Society

Chapter Fourteen

Polite Society

Shortly after Hailey and Seth left Lakeview Hospital, Dr. Browning entered Marissa's room and chased out the gaggle of people that had gathered in the room, declaring that Marissa had best get her rest before her operation the following day. In the waiting room, Jimmy sat next to Kirsten, who did her best to ignore him as she flipped through a doctor's journal, knowing exactly why he had sat down beside her. Jimmy was full of questions about Hailey, questions that Kirsten couldn't answer even if she wanted to; the same questions that she had wanted to ask her sister.

"So, I guess Hailey's back in town." Jimmy said, as though he didn't sense Kirsten's purposeful silence. "Do you know how long she'll be here?"

Kirsten sighed and set the magazine aside. "No, Jimmy. She just showed up outside my front door." She explained. "I don't even know where she's been these past months."

Jimmy frowned "I'm glad she's back, you know?" He questioned and Kirsten didn't say anything. "I was worried about her."

_I still am, _Kirsten thought but didn't say. "I know what you mean." She muttered instead, shifting her weight in her chair. Jimmy didn't know about the neatly concealed bruises and bumps on Hailey's face and she wasn't going to tell them, that was Hailey's department; he had no idea just how worried she was about her sister.

As though sensing Kirsten's unwillingness to talk about Hailey, Jimmy leaned back in his chair and shifted his gaze across the waiting room. Ryan was pacing around the room, going from one end to the other and Luke was watching him from where he sat next to Julie, looking as though Ryan was making him extremely dizzy. Sandy was filling two Styrofoam cups full of chalky, thick liquid that the hospital tried to pass off as coffee and watching his adoptive son out of the corner of his eye.

"Ryan, you're making me nervous." Sandy said finally and the boy stopped walking and turned in his direction. "Wearing a hole in the floor isn't going to help Marissa."

Ryan sighed. "I can't help it; I'm a pacer." He muttered wearily. "I'm just worried about her."

"We're all worried about Marissa." Jimmy said with a sympathetic smile. "But tomorrow she's going to get that operation and things will start going back to normal."

Ryan was silent; why was everyone always saying that things would go back to normal? Was he the only one that saw that things would never be normal again, for any of them? But instead of saying these things, he just forced himself to nod and started pacing again. Pacing helped him think, but all he could think about was Marissa. When did things get so confusing? Was there ever a time when things were absolutely perfect between them? There was always Luke, then Oliver, always someone standing in their way; all he had ever wanted to do since the moment he saw her standing at the end of her driveway so many months ago was be with her. Was that ever going to happen?

Maybe Ryan just needed to tell Marissa how she felt, once and for all, before things took another turn for the worst and another blockade established itself in the middle of their relationship. He stopped passing again and glanced over at Sandy. "I'm just going to go to the restroom." He muttered, knowing right away that everyone in the room could see through his excuse. "I'll be right back."

"Hey," Sandy said before Ryan could get out of the waiting room. "If she's asleep don't wake her up." He smiled slightly to let Ryan know just how poor a liar he was.

Ryan couldn't help but smile back. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He said and headed out of the waiting room and down the hallway toward Marissa's room.

Julie rolled her eyes. "That boy cannot stay away; he's like a pathetic little puppy dog." She remarked.

Jimmy looked at his ex-wife. "It's okay, Jules, we don't hold your comments against you. We understand that you have no idea what it really means to be in love." He said and Julie narrowed her eyes.

"Very funny, James." Julie retorted. "And I don't hold it against you that you confuse a piece of ass for love."

Now it was Kirsten's turn to narrow her eyes. "Don't talk about my sister that way." She commanded and Julie looked over at her, as though she hadn't expected any comment from the peanut gallery.

"All right now, do you think we can all act like adults for once?" Sandy questioned, though it was clear his comment was mainly directed toward Julie. "We are in a hospital, don't forget that."

Julie leaned back in her chair, trying to appear higher and mightier then she really was. "Really James, you should learn to control yourself."

Jimmy's mouth fell upon at her words and he stared at the woman with a look of complete disbelief on his face. "Will someone please tell me how I ever lived with Julie?" He questioned and Julie didn't look very amused.

Kirsten patted his knee. "It's okay, Jimmy, no one blames you." She assured him, looking pointedly at Julie who gave her the finger.

Sandy sighed and threw his arms in the arm as a signal of surrender. "I'm glad everyone is mature enough to sit in the same room and have decent conversations." He muttered. He looked over at Luke and wasn't surprised to see that the kid was watching the whole exchange like a five-year-old watching his first wrestling match.

With another sigh, Sandy sat down on the opposite side of the waiting room. Just another day in polite society.

When Ryan arrived back at Marissa's room, he found that she was, indeed, asleep. He stood for a moment in the doorway, simply watching her lay, motionless, lost in dreamland where none of her current problems were anything more then a distance memory. Ryan wished he could find away to keep her like that forever, peaceful and beautiful, the girl he had fallen in love with all of those months ago.

Quietly, Ryan entered the room and sat down in the chair that he seemed to be spending most of his time, taking her hand and gently entwining their fingers. Marissa stirred, a smile briefly flickering across her lips but she remained asleep; Ryan knew that she needed all the sleep she could get and he'd hate to wake her from whatever pleasant dream she was experiencing.

"You know, Marissa, I actually came to talk to you." Ryan whispered, kissing her knuckles as he had done earlier. "I wanted you to know that I love you and no matter what happens, I'll always love you."

Marissa muttered something in her sleep, as though she could hear what he was saying. Ryan hoped that a part of her could hear him and heard the sincere love in his words.

"I know we haven't always had the best relationship, what with Luke and then Oliver. And I'm sure I haven't always been the best boyfriend, or whatever, but all that's going to change. No matter what happens next, I'm always going to be there and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again." Ryan leaned forward and gave Marissa a light kiss on the forehead.

Marissa's eyes fluttered open, catching Ryan off guard for a moment; she looked over at him and smiled faintly. "I know." She told him. "I love you." She gently brushed her fingers across his cheek.

Ryan smiled at her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, still holding onto her hand. He found it strange that things could be so perfect when everything else around them was so wrong.

"Will you lay with me?" Marissa questioned, her fingers still brushing against Ryan's cheek. "Until I fall asleep again."

Ryan managed to maneuver himself over the metal guard rail on the side of the bed and slowly lay down on his side beside Marissa, being careful not to sit on her in the process. He laid his head on the mountain of pillows beside her and kissed her forehead when she managed to snuggle closer to him. "I love you, Ryan." She said again, resting her head against his chest and draping one arm around his waist.

Ryan held her against his chest long after she had fallen asleep again, resting his cheek against her hair, which still smelled of coconut shampoo. Marissa's breathing was slow and rhythmic and he could fell her heart beating against his chest. Ryan let his own eyes slowly close, wishing that he could stay like this forever.

Hailey was pulling the Cohen SUV into the parking lot of the Lakeview Hospital at the same time her father, pristine business man Caleb Nichol, was pulling in with his Escalade, new off the assembly line. Hailey was checking her concealer in the rearview mirror while Caleb was shouting on his cell phone at one of his unwitting business partners, who he had half a mind to fire. Hailey happened to look away from the mirror in time to avoid slamming into the side of the Escalade and quickly yanked the wheel to the left, sending the SUV bumping into the cement side of the planting bed. Hailey was thrown against her seatbelt before being jerked back against the seat as the car crashed into the planting bed. "Just great." She grumbled to herself, taking a deep breath.

Caleb hadn't noticed the near miss and was pulling his Escalade into the parking space Hailey had intended on taking, still on his cell phone. Hailey saw the car come to stop and narrowed her eyes; whoever was inside was going to get a piece of her mind. She hoped they had insurance.

Rolling down her window, Hailey stuck her head out and shouted, "Hey, asshole, learn to drive!" She was just not having a good day. Kirsten would kill her if the SUV sustained any damage from the planting bed and she didn't have any money to pay for the repairs.

Caleb, who was also not having the best day, hung up his cell phone and whirled around to face whoever had shouted at him. Hailey felt her cheeks blanch; that asshole was her father. "Excellent." She grumbled, slipping back inside the car and knocking her head against the steering wheel. She had hoped that she could go an entire visit in Newport without seeing her father but she hadn't even gone four hours.

"Hailey?" Caleb called across the parking lot. His youngest daughter knocked her head against the wheel again, this time making the horn honk. He started across the parking lot and stopped beside the SUV, which he recognized as Sandy's. "Did you get in an accident, honey?"

Hailey looked up at him with a look of disbelief on her face. Caleb ignored the look and said, "I didn't know you were back in town, why didn't you call me?" So he was trying out the loving father bit, it was certain a welcome change from being shouted at all of the time.

"I just got in." Hailey muttered, sighing and unbuckling her seatbelt. Caleb stepped back to allow his daughter to step out of the car; she pushed past him and headed to the front of the car, almost afraid to see what had happened to the SUV. Aside from a scratch or two on the grille, the car appeared to be no worse for wear.

Caleb studied the car for a moment as well before saying, "So I guess you're here to visit Marissa too." Hailey didn't respond. "Just horrible what happened to her, she's a sweet kid." Hailey wondered if Caleb even really knew Marissa.

Ignoring her father as best she could, Hailey got back into the SUV and backed it slowly away from the planting bed before tucking it into a parking spot on the complete opposite end of the hospital. Caleb was waiting for her by the entrance of the hospital when she returned from parking the car and she sighed; it wasn't like Caleb to be so nice to the daughter he sometimes denied having. Business must be going really well. Either that or it was going great with Julie Cooper.

Before heading up to Marissa's floor, Caleb insisted on stopping by the gift shop and buying two bouquets of flowers; Hailey assumed the smaller one was for Marissa. "So, have you already seen Marissa?" Caleb questioned on the elevator ride up to the third floor.

"For about a minute." Hailey answered, shifting her weight with a sigh and wondering how much longer the elevator ride was going to last. It hadn't seemed this long before.

A few seconds passed before Caleb said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, "Then you've seen Julie."

Hailey sighed again. "I knew it." She grumbled. "You and Julie Cooper are still doing it like bunnies. She is such a skank." She was certain it wasn't the most mature comment to make but it was the only one that managed to leave her lips.

Caleb glared at her. "I will not have you speak about Julie that way." He commanded harshly and Hailey wasn't surprised. She had known that his good-dad routine wasn't going to last very long.

The elevator doors finally slid open and Hailey all but rushed out of the elevator, heading down the hallway before Caleb could even get out of the cab. She saw Kirsten, Sandy, Luke, Jimmy and Julie sitting in the waiting room; Kirsten turned in her direction and took one look at her little sister's face before saying, "Uh oh, Dad must be here."

Jimmy looked at her. "How do you know?"

"Because Hailey looks like she wants to strangle someone." Kirsten answered. "We're all going to feel that way in about five seconds."

Sure enough, Caleb entered the waiting room seconds after Hailey, who had seemed to have taken refuge beside Jimmy without even realizing it. The second Caleb entered the waiting room, Julie jumped to her feet and rushed to meet him; with a grin, he offered a bouquet -the larger one, just as Hailey had assumed- to the woman. "Oh, Cal, they're beautiful." Julie cooed and buried her face in the flowers. "You shouldn't have."

Hailey rolled her eyes and made a gagging sound and Jimmy couldn't help but laugh; Julie looked over at her ex and narrowed her eyes. "Jealous, James, that some mean actually know what it means to be romantic?" She questioned.

Sandy sighed again. "God, here we go again." He grumbled and Kirsten patted his shoulder sympathetically. "It's okay, honey." She cooed. "They'll remember to be adults again in a minute."

Jimmy looked over at Hailey and she turned away, looking down at her feet; being next to Jimmy reminded her of another reason she was uneasy about returning to New Port: she always felt like she was below Jimmy by just being around him. She still smelled of smoke, smog and L.A., her clothes hadn't been washed in almost three days and neither had her hair, she just hadn't had time to do those things, with her mind occupied with other topics. But Jimmy was dressed in a three-piece suit that wasn't even wrinkled and he smelled of crisp, fresh aftershave. Hailey continued to stare down at her feet; how could she have ever thought she was good enough for the New Port life?

"So, Juju," Caleb said, causing Julie to give him her attention again. "How 'bout I take you to lunch."

Julie had to suppress the pleased, almost smug, smile that threatened to pull up the corners of her lips. "Well, I'm sure Marissa would be alright for an hour or two..."

Caleb slipped his arm around her waist. "Of course she can." He said and Julie did smile at this. "We'll be back shortly." He told the rest of the adults in the room before heading out of the waiting room with his arm still around Julie. "Where would you like to go, Juju?" Jimmy heard Caleb ask as they disappeared.

"Somewhere expensive." Jimmy muttered, certain that Julie's answer would be along those lines. He turned to look at Hailey and said, "It's the gruesome twosome together again."

Hailey stood abruptly and this action surprised Jimmy. "I'm going to go...visit Marissa." She muttered and headed out of the waiting room like she was running away from Caleb Nichol.

Jimmy watched her go, his brow knitted in concern. When Hailey had first arrived, she had looked almost happy to see him and he was more then happy to see her; now it was like she couldn't stand to be around him. "What am I doing wrong?" He questioned, looking at Kirsten.

But it was Sandy who spoke. "Don't worry about too much, Coop. It is Hailey, after all, you can never tell what she's thinking."

Ryan wasn't quite sure why he woke up but when his eyes finally fluttered open, he saw Kirsten's sister, Hailey, standing in the doorway. Marissa was still asleep in his arms, warm against his bare arms, her hair tickling his cheeks and an utterly content and peaceful look on her face.

Hailey smiled when she saw that Ryan had woken. "I wish I had my camera." She remarked and Ryan couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

Ryan didn't say anything, simply remained with his arms wrapped around Marissa; he wouldn't have left Marissa and this moment for anything. "So, how are you, Hailey?" He questioned instead, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Marissa.

Hailey wasn't quite sure how to answer, so instead she just shrugged. "How's Marissa?" It was better to change the subject she had always found then simply avoid the question.

"Well, she's possibly paralyzed from the waist down but she's going to have an operation tomorrow so that she might be able to walk again." Ryan explained, kissing her forehead and resting his cheek against the top of her head.

Hailey looked shocked. "Oh my God, poor Marissa." She whispered and she actually looked sincere, something that Ryan hadn't seen on Julie Cooper's face and Marissa was her own daughter. "Well, I'm wouldn't worry too much, Ryan, Marissa's gonna be-"

"Fine." Ryan finished sharply and Hailey raised an eyebrow. "Everyone says everything in going to be fine but how do they know? What if everything's not fine?" He questioned and Hailey wasn't quite sure that he actually wanted an answer. "I'm tired of everyone saying that Marissa is going to be fine."

Hailey's brow knitted. "Uh, Ryan, 'everything's going to be fine' is just something you say in times like these. No one really knows that everything's going to be all right. But if I went up to Marissa and said 'there's a chance you might not walk again, tough luck kiddo' would that make you feel any better?"

Ryan sighed. "No, I guess you're right." He muttered, looking down at Marissa. "I just love her so much, you know, and I want her to really be _fine _more then I've ever wanted anything in my life." He sighed again and closed his eyes, his thoughts swarming through his head quicker then he could sort them out. "I just...I just feel like this is all my fault."

Hailey looked shocked. "Ryan, why would you think that?" She questioned, though she knew all about undo blame. She'd been experiencing a lot lately.

"I just can't help but wonder if there was something I could have done, something to protect her." Ryan answered. "Maybe it should be me in the bed instead of her."

Hailey raised an eyebrow again. "Do you really think that Marissa would like to hear you say those things?" She questioned. "Do you think that will make her feel better?" Ryan didn't answer. "I might not know the whole story about what happened, but I'm sure things would have been a lot worse if you hadn't have been there."

Ryan couldn't deny what she was saying; did he really think it would help matters to feel sorry for himself? Marissa needed him right now and she needed him to be strong, not constricted by misplaced guilt. "You know, Hailey, you're a lot smarter then you give yourself credit for."

Hailey looked flattered; no one had ever said something like that to her. "Thanks, Ryan." She muttered, her words genuine. He wasn't such a bad kid after all.

"And you were smart to leave that guy that hit you." Ryan added and Hailey was shocked to the point that her mouth dropped open. "That was something my mom really never figured out."

"How did you-" Hailey questioned. She had checked the concealer on her face before coming into Marissa's room and not a bruise was visible.

"Trust me, I've spent my whole life watching my mom try and cover up her bruises and black eyes." Ryan explained. "I've gotten used to seeing the bruises beneath the makeup."

Hailey didn't say anything; like it or not, she and Ryan had a lot in common. Maybe that was why she liked him so much. "I'm going to leave you and Marissa alone now." She said, hoping that Ryan wasn't going to ask the same questions Kirsten and Sandy had been asking. "And don't worry, Marissa's going to be-"

"Fine, right?" Ryan raised an eyebrow and smiled at her. Hailey smiled slightly and nodded.

"Right, everything's fine."

_I've been getting a lot of reviews for my story "Broken Angel" about how I should continue. If anyone has any ideas for how I should continue (I wasn't planning on it) then please leave them in this review._


	15. Honey and the Moon

I'd like to apologize for the fact that the different sections didn't separate; I have no idea how that happened and I hope it wasn't confusing. I'm trying something new this time so I hope it works. Anyway, thanks for the great reviews, keep them up!

Chapter Fifteen

Honey and the Moon

The community of New Port Beach was once again taken over by darkness, though as night had fallen, street lamps clicked on and the lights from the offices of late working employees seemed to make the area still as bright as day. All the glittering city lights were visible from Marissa's hospital room and Ryan stood by the window, watching the city that still buzzed down below. He wondered how many of the people down below were living the perfect lives that he had always thought the rich and privileged lived. Fewer then it appeared, he was sure. No one lived a perfect life, Ryan had realized that by now, no matter how hard you tried, there was always going to be that one thing that kept everything from coming together.

Was that how his life with Marissa was going to be, despite the promise he had made to her hours ago? Were they ever going to have that storybook romance that very few couples seemed to be able to achieve, or were they always going to be trying to bring every thing together? "Ryan?" Marissa's voice caused him to turn around and face her. "You look so serious, what are you thinking about?" She asked.

Ryan stared at Marissa for a second before answering, trying to imagine what life would be like without her. He couldn't do it; he hoped that all those things standing in their way of becoming the couple they had both always wanted to be were gone now. "Nothing." He assured her. "Nothing important."

When Hailey emerged from the bathroom, where she had been for the past thirty minutes, Jimmy was certain, he was waiting for her in the waiting room. Hailey didn't look at him when she entered the room, but Jimmy decided not to let that fact bother him too much.

"Hailey, I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me." Jimmy asked. "If you don't have any other plans that is." He added quickly, looking at the girl nervously. He had never been nervous around Hailey but somehow he sensed that something had changed, that she was different somehow and that made him nervous.

Hailey looked up slowly. "No, I don't think so." She answered, trying to sound nonchalant but she was aware of how badly her words seemed to hurt Jimmy. "I was just looking forward to a quiet evening." Before Jimmy could say anything else, she turned away and headed down the hallway toward the water cooler closer to the nurse's station.

Jimmy frowned and his eyes dropped to the floor; he had been nervous about asking her but he hadn't anticipated that she would say no. He'd been out with Hailey multiple times and they had always seemed to hit it off; he really liked her and he had always thought that she had really liked him to. But now, it didn't seem that way.

Someone placed their hand on his shoulder and Jimmy jumped, surprised, and whirled around to see Kirsten standing behind him. She offered him a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Jimmy, it's nothing personal. Hailey's just coming out of a really tough time." It was the truth, but Kirsten couldn't elaborate on her words.

Jimmy's brow knitted in concern. "What happened?" He questioned, voice and face laced with worry. Kirsten wondered if Hailey knew just how much Jimmy worried about her; she doubted it, Hailey would have less reason to leave if she knew all of what was waiting for her in New Port.

Kirsten sighed. "I don't know, Jimmy. Hailey doesn't care to elaborate on her troubles." She answered, suddenly realizing how much of a surprise that was. Ever since she had been little, Hailey would always use any opportunity she could to whine and complain about anything that was bothering her. Except for now, when she couldn't even look Kirsten in the eye when she said she didn't want to talk about it; had it finally gotten so bad that she couldn't even bring herself to talk about it? Kirsten's heart wrenched at the thought of what had happened to her little sister; she should have been there to protect Hailey, that was what sisters did.

Jimmy sighed and looked down the hallway in the direction Hailey had vanished; she was still standing by the water cooler, filling numerous plastic cups half full with water. Something about her had changed, that was for sure but he still saw the beautiful, blunt, snappy woman that he had fallen in love with so many years ago.

Jimmy headed out of the waiting room and walked down the hallway to where Hailey was standing, attempting to balance all the cups she had filled. "Can I give you a hand?" He offered, taking several of the Styrofoam cups from her.

"Thanks." Hailey muttered, looking up at him for a brief moment before turning away and heading back toward the waiting room.

When Hailey had looked up at him, Jimmy had noticed something that he hadn't seen before; her bottom lip had been split recently, he could still see where the blood had dried. His brow knitted again in a mixture of confusion and worry; had someone hit her, was that her big secret? But why would she keep that from her sister, from him? It just didn't make any sense.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seth hadn't been able to relax since he had left Summer's house and felt like he had been pacing around his living room for hours. It was evening now and he hadn't heard any news from Summer or his mother for that matter; you'd think that she'd call to check in on her son that'd been away from her sights for five or so hours.

In truth, Seth didn't mind that his mother hadn't called to check in, it gave him time to think about Summer. He hoped his little and slightly embarrassing impersonation of John Cusack had a least brighter Summer's spirits a little but there was no way to tell for sure because her father had chased him away with threat of painful death before he had even had the chance to speak to her. He needed another plan, another way to cheer up Summer and let her know in a less comical way that he really did care for her.

But how was he even supposed to get close to Summer when her father had the police on speed-dial? Suddenly, Seth had an idea; it would be risky but it would be worth it if he could manage to pull it off.

With a smile on his face, Seth hurried out of the living room and into the kitchen.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summer only retreated from the darkness and relative safety of her room because she could tell her father was worried about her; not that it took a genius to figure that fact out since moments before he had knocked on her door, announced he had made her favorite meal and told her how worried he was about her. And so, Summer had managed to untangle herself from her dark haven and head down stairs.

The smells of fresh spaghetti sauce, boiling noodles and baking garlic bread weren't even enough to entice Summer as she stepped in the kitchen. Her father was standing by the pot of wilted noodles, stirring them and trying not to look as worried about his daughter as he said he was. But Summer could see through his disguise and was surprised when she didn't really care; she loved her father, he was the only parent she had ever really known and she hated to see him upset. The fact that she was unmoved by his touching display of fathering love did more then surprise her, it scared her. Was this how it was going to be forever? Was she always going to be numb to everything and everyone around her?

Ian turned around and offered his daughter a wane smile. "Food's just about ready, Summer, you can go ahead and sit down." He gestured toward the oak table, set for two, just as it had been since she had been five years old.

Summer did as her father suggested, feeling like she was running on autopilot. _This isn't right! _Her mind screamed. _I don't want to feel like this! _But every time she tried to feel something different, all she felt was her pain over losing her mother and the shock of seeing Oliver shoot himself. And that was when she realized that not feeling anything was better then what she could be feeling.

Ian watched Summer out of the corner of his eyes and sighed; this was just like when her mother had died those years ago. It had been bad seeing his daughter act like this once before and now he was having to live through it again. He prepared their plates and carried them to the table, deciding to sit next to Summer instead of across from her as they did every other night when he was in town.

"So, Summer, is there anything you want to talk about?" Ian questioned as he set her plate in front of her. Summer looked down at her food but didn't act like she had even seen it. "About Marissa or..."

"No." Summer answered sharply. "I don't want to talk about Marissa and I definitely don't want to talk about Mom." The images of that night flashed in her mind and she shut her eyes against them but that only made it worse.

Ian seemed surprised by her sharp response. "I'm just want you to know that I'm hear for you, to talk...about anything." She stared down at her plate. "Because I know what you're going through now, seeing Marissa get shot was probably a lot like seeing your-"

"Stop!" Summer shouted and bolted to her feet so fast that her chair clattered to the floor. "Stop talking about it." She hissed, hating herself for snapping at her father but unable to stop herself, just as she was unable to stop the tears that were filling her eyes.

Ian was so surprised by her outburst (his darling little Summer had never yelled at him before) that he could do nothing but stare at Summer. She used his silence as the chance to turn and head out of the kitchen, rushing up the stairs and back to her room, where no one talked about what had happened those years ago. Yet, not even the darkness of her room could keep away the mental images that flashed through her head, ruling her thoughts and making her act this way.

Summer hadn't been lying on her bed, the covers pulled up to her chin like she was a child again, for more then ten minutes when she heard someone hard but small hit the glass pane of her window. She turned her head in the direction, waited a minute and then thought she had imagined the whole thing. She thought differently when the sound was repeated, with a little more force then the last time. It took Summer a minute to realize what the sound was: someone was throwing someone against her window from the yard below.

The object hit the window again and Summer pushed her covers back, slipping out of bed and heading over to the window. She already knew who she was going to see, standing in her yard, but she was still touched when she pushed by the curtain to see Seth Cohen, preparing to throw another rock, looking over his shoulder toward the front door with a concerned expression on his face. Once he seemed certain that no one (Ian Roberts in particular) was going to come out the front door, Seth looked back in the direction of her window, prepared to throw the pebble in his hand, stopping when he saw Summer looking down at him.

"Come here." He mouthed to her, making the gestures in case she couldn't read his overly exaggerated words. "Come down here."

Summer's brow knitted and she shook her head; she didn't feel like going to talk to Seth right now, knowing full well that he would only want to talk about the same subjects that her father did. She turned away from the window, stopping when another rock hit the glass and she turned around again.

"Please." Seth fixed her with a puppy dog stare, putting his hands together in a praying gesture and comically stuck his bottom lip out. "Please." He batted his eyelashes.

Summer watched him for a minute longer, debating; he obliviously wanted to talk to her but she knew what he wanted to talk about. Yet when she was with Seth was the only time that she managed to almost forget about Marissa and Oliver and her mother. She would give anything to feel that way all the time.

Finally, Summer unlocked her window and pushed it open; Seth smiled. She swung her right leg over the sill, balanced on the ledge and grabbed the half-rotted trellis that hadn't grown anything in years and with the experience of someone who had snuck out of her room multiple times, did just that. Seth watched her as she scaled the trellis with ease and offered her a smile when she turned in his direction. Summer didn't return the gesture. "What?"

"I've got something I want to show you." Seth explained and took her hand, leading her away from her house. He was worried that Ian might make himself known at any moment and his plan would be ruined and he'd never get to tell Summer everything he wanted to say.

Summer didn't look impressed. "What is it?" She asked him, following dutifully as he led her onto the sidewalk and away from her house. Seth didn't answer, simply offered her another smile and promised that she'd see when they got there. Summer was relieved when they walked in silence, with Seth not pressing her about what she was feeling and all the things that her dad wanted to talk about. She liked the way the palm of his hand felt against hers, how warm and secure when nothing else in the world seemed that way.

The New Port Beach Marina was a ways from Summer's house but to Seth the walk seemed much shorter the second time around then it had when he had first headed off to her house. The sun had completely sunken beneath the horizon line by the time they arrived but Summer could still see well enough because of the various street lights to get a look around. She had never been to the Marina before and was impressed by the vast array of yachts, sailboats and catamarans that were docked around them.

"What are we doing here?" Summer questioned and Seth turned back to look in her direction.

But he didn't answer her question until they had covered some distance along the waterlogged dock that served as a "sidewalk" between the rows of different boats. Finally, they stopped in front of a tiny catamaran, with nothing to show for itself other then a sail and a whicker basket sitting on the dock. "This is my baby," Seth explained proudly, gesturing toward the boat.

Summer raised an eyebrow. "You brought me out here to show me a sail boat?" She asked, but there was no real emotion behind the words. Seth figured that she would have had the same tone if he had shown her a pet lion that could dance the tango.

"The _Summer Breeze _is not a sailboat." He corrected. "She's a catamaran. And yes, I did bring you out here to see her."

Summer studied the catamaran and questioned, "Why did you name it that?"

Seth didn't answer right away; he let go of her hand and gingerly stepped onto the small deck of the _Summer Breeze**. **_Once he had himself situated, he extended his hand for Summer to take and she shook her head. "I'm not getting onto that thing; it doesn't look safe."

"Your first lesson in sailing, Summer, is that the _Summer Breeze _is not an 'it', you refer to all boats as 'she.'" Summer didn't look impressed. "And secondly, she's perfectly safe; I was going to take this baby all the way to Tahiti."

Summer still didn't take his hand. "Why do you want me to get on your boat anyway?" She questioned, though it looked more like a raft with a sail then a boat.

"I have something I want to show you." Seth answered and continued to hold out his hand. Finally, Summer stepped forward and allowed him to help her into the catamaran; the small boat rocked back and forth and she clung onto him nervously. If Seth had known that she would have reacted that way, he realized he would have brought her onto his boat a long time ago.

Once Summer was situated, Seth untied the _Summer Breeze _and showed it away from the dock. There was very little wind and he unfurled the sail to catch what there was, hoisting it and frowning when it lay flat against the mast. "Okay, plan B." He muttered, sitting next to Summer and pulling out a pair of oars. Instructed Summer to move over just a bit, he centered himself and began rowing away from the dock and out into the ocean.

"Where are we going?" Summer questioned for what seemed like the tenth time. If he would just give her a straight answer then she would stop asking but Seth seemed to get joy from making things were complicated then they were.

This time, Seth actually seemed willing to give an honest answer. "One of my favorite places along the coast." He grunted as he rowed. "I think you'll like it."

Careful not to upset the catamaran but curious nonetheless, Summer leaned forward and dragged the whicker basket across the small deck and over toward her. Seth watched her out of the corner of his eye but made no move to stop her. Summer flipped the top open and peered inside; a worn quilt rested on top of whatever else was inside and she pushed it aside to get a better look, Plates, napkins, forks and food of various sorts were all packed into the small basket and Summer looked up and over at Seth. "You're taking me on a picnic?" Seth nodded and Summer actually managed to smile. "Cohen, that is so sweet."

Seth couldn't help but smile as well; he tried to remember the last time he had seen Summer really smile and thought it must have been back in his kitchen before Ryan had rushed in and told them that Oliver was holding Marissa at gunpoint. "I hoped you might like it." He said as he steered the catamaran closer to the coast.

Summer never realized how little she knew of New Port's topography until she saw the area Seth had brought her to; the coast rose slightly in stony walls that couldn't quite be called cliffs, with jagged gray stone jutting out from the sides. The sandy beaches below were littered with rocks, no doubt broken off from the cliff-sides and in the faint moonlight everything looked strikingly beautiful to Summer. She kept her eyes on the jagged cliffs that rose up with a paved road atop them; no cars passed along now and they were alone, with no sound but that of the waves slapping against the sides of the _Summer Breeze _and the shore.

Seth managed to steer the catamaran to the shore, pulling in the oars as the sides bumped against the sand. He jumped out of the boat and pulled it ashore, mooring it high enough up so that the tide couldn't come and sweep it away. He had been here enough times to know all the steps he needed to go through but he had never taken someone else with him before. Seth looked over at Summer, who was still sitting on the dock with the whicker basket on her lap and looking around the beach, with a serene and amazed look on her face.

"How did you find this place?" Summer questioned as she stepped out of the boat, one hand holding the basket and the other laced with Seth's. She didn't know places like this could exist; the only beaches she had ever been so had pearly white sand, cresting waves and buff lifeguards to stare at while she sunbathed.

"Just lonely wondering." Seth answered and took the basket from her. "I used to come here a lot and think, try and figure things out, you know. It was easy to do that here, since it's so quite."

Summer nodded and wondered Seth had spent hours figuring out; it seemed intrusive to ask and so she didn't. He had, after all, kept his mouth shut about what had happened to Oliver and Marissa. Seth pulled the quilt out of the basket and set about unfolding it, spreading it across the sand; since there was no breeze he didn't have to worry about the quilt being blown around by the wind. He started taking out the plates and then paused, looking over at her. "Have you already eaten dinner?" That was something he hadn't thought about.

"No." Summer answered, digging her toes into the sand. She hadn't been hungry before but now her stomach was rumbling lowly, making her feel less like a robot on autopilot and more like a person again. Seth just seemed to have that effect on her. She turned around to face him and then headed over to the blanket, sitting beside him.

Seth offered her a plate and said, "I didn't really know what you'd feel like eating so I brought a little bit of everything we had in the house." And it appeared that he really had: sandwiches, leftover lasagna, turkey slices, fruit, even some carrots. Summer decided to help herself to some of the lasagna, since it was closet to the spaghetti she had left behind at her house.

They ate in silence for a while, listening to the surf as it pounded the beach, with Summer leaning against Seth's chest, balancing her plate on her knees. Finally, she said, "I'm really glad you brought me here."

Seth smiled. "Don't mention it. You seem a little upset lately so I thought it would be a good way to cheer you up." There was silence again and finally Seth decided to try and bring up the topic that they had both been sidestepping without even realizing it. "I don't know what you're going through, or what's going on inside your head because of what Oliver did but I want to try and understand so I can help."

Summer sighed and no longer felt like eating; yet it was something about the way Seth had brought up the subject that made Summer want to answer him. "All I can see whenever I close my eyes is Oliver killing himself. And..." She trailed off, she didn't want to talk about her mother. "And I don't understand why I keep feeling like this, why I can't seem to be feeling anything at all." She sighed and looked down at the sand.

Seth set his plate down and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "It's going to be okay Summer, we'll make it through this together." He assured her. Whatever this was, he thought; her words had given him no insight on the way she had been acting, though she had admitted herself that she couldn't feel anything lately. Summer turned to look at him and he kissed her, cupping her cheeks in her hands.

Summer pulled away before the kiss could deepen and Seth wondered if he had made a mistake. "Seth, I love you, I always have but right now, I can't deal with being with you like that." She admitted, though she wasn't quite sure why she was pushing him away. When Seth had kissed her, she had felt something, something deep inside her stomach and her heart, where she hadn't felt anything since she saw Oliver shoot himself and she was crazy to ignore that. But she couldn't give Seth false hopes of the perfect romance when she couldn't even make herself smile.

Seth didn't seem hurt by her words and continued to hold her against his chest. "I'll always be here when you need me." He promised her. "We'll get through this together."

Summer remained silent and fixed her eyes straight ahead, watching the black ocean roll against the beach. And, feeling Seth's chest rise and fall against her back with every breath he took, listening to the waves, she actually felt safe.

------_Okay, so, I'm not quite sure you're actually wondering about the title of this chapter but it comes from a line from the song "Honey and the Moon" ("You're the honey and the moon that lights up my night") by Joseph Arthur off the O.C. Mix CD and I thought it was fitting for this little scene. And for those of you who have been waiting for Marissa's operation, it'll happen in the next chapter, I promise! Anyway, keep up those great reviews! _


	16. The Beginning

__

Wow! It's been so long since I was able to update. My computer has been broken and two months and 147 dollars later, I've finally been able to update. I'm so happy! Anyway, sorry for the long wait, I hope all my loyal and wonderful readers are still out there. So, here's another chapter, long overdue!

Chapter Sixteen

The Beginning

By the time Summer and Seth returned to the Roberts house, Seth guessed it was past midnight; the house was dark, the shades drawn and Summer's window remained open, just as she had left it. She managed to smile slightly. "Thanks, for everything."

Seth nodded. "Anytime." He promised, watching her head across the yard and back to her window. With the same ease she had shown while scaling down the trellis, Summer started climbing back up to her room, back to her dark solitude.

"Summer." Summer turned around, halfway through her bedroom window, to see why Seth had called her name. "For the record, the boat was named after you." Summer smiled, the first real smile Seth had seen in a long time, and ducked back inside her room.

Seth stood on the sidewalk outside Summer's window long after she had disappeared inside and shut the window behind her. He wanted to make sure she was asleep.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sky over New Port was streaked with hues of grays and blues as the sun started its climb into the sky, not hampered by the clouds that gathered at the horizon. Lakeview Hospital was almost completely silent, aside from the rustling coming from Kirsten's purse as she pushed the contents around, searching for her keys. Sandy was asleep beside her, leaning against the wall, using rolled up magazines as a strange sort of pillow, undisturbed by her search, just as Jimmy and Hailey were. Kirsten, herself, had gotten close to a half hour of sleep because she found it impossible to sleep in a hospital; it reminded of her visiting her mother while she was sick and dying and could barely stand to be in the building for more then a few hours at a time. Yet the sun was rising, which meant she had spent nearly twenty-four hours sitting around in the waiting room providing support for Marissa and Jimmy.

And in all those hours, Kirsten had yet to hear from Seth, whom she had barely seen all day. She had called the house an hour or so ago but she hadn't gotten an answer and now she had decided that she was going to take a break from the hospital waiting room, stretch her legs and check on her son. Provided she could find her car keys.

Kirsten finally founded the keys to the SUV, buried beneath just about everything else in her purse and fished them out triumphantly. She was going to stop by Marissa's room to see if she needed anything and to see if Ryan wanted to stop by the house with her, though she doubted he was going to be willing to leave Marissa's side. Standing, quietly, so not to wake Sandy, she headed out of the waiting room and down the hallway toward Marissa's room.

Marissa was asleep with Ryan in bed beside her, his arms wrapped around her waist, asleep as well; Kirsten smiled at the sight of them. She couldn't believe everything that had happened in the past few days, how badly their lives had been derailed and prayed that everything would turn out all right. Ryan and Marissa deserved that. They all did.

As silently as she had entered, Kirsten turned back around and left the room, heading down the hallway and toward the elevator. The main waiting room on the bottom level of the hospital was just becoming to get crowded, filled mostly with mothers with sick children who had only the hours before sunrise to take their children to the doctor's office. Kirsten offered them a tired smile as she headed through the automatic doors and into the parking lot.

The SUV was parked in a space toward the back of the lot and Kirsten studied the grille for a moment, trying to decide if it looked a little scratched before climbing into the driver's side and starting the car. The roads had yet to be overrun with early morning rush hour traffic and she got home quickly, stopping only for red lights.

The front door was unlocked and Kirsten made a mental note to chaste Seth about that; she made it a habit to make sure the doors and windows were always locked after their house had been broken into a few weeks after they had first moved to New Port. The familiar sounds of the ninja game floated in front of the living room and headed in that direction, already preparing her motherly speech. Her planned words died in her lips when she saw that Seth was asleep on the couch, the video game controller still in his hands and the words _Game Over _flashing on the television screen. Kirsten smiled at the sight of her sleeping child and quietly took the controller from his hands, shut off the video game system and pulled a blanket over Seth's shoulders.

Satisfied that nothing bad had befallen her son, Kirsten headed upstairs to take a shower and change her clothes. However, when she stepped into her bedroom, her bed looked so inviting that she couldn't help but lay down for a moment, which slowly turned in a few hours. The sun rose while Kirsten slept, signaling the beginning of another day in New Port.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marissa woke from what she was certain was a nightmare, judging by the way she was sweating and shaking, lost for a moment in that time between sleeping and waking. Whatever had frightened her in her dreams was gone now, she couldn't even remember why she had been so scared, and she found herself wrapped in Ryan's arms, safe. The sun had almost risen in the sky and the first rays of the sunlight came through the blinds and washed across Ryan's sleeping face. Marissa smiled and reached out gently with her fingers to caress his cheek; his eyes fluttered open as soon as she touched his cheek and he smiled at her. "I didn't mean to wake you up." She apologized but Ryan just smiled.

"It's okay." Ryan said. "How are you feeling?"

Marissa sighed. "Nervous." She admitted. "About the operation." She added, as though either of them needed a reminder.

Ryan gently ran his fingers through her hair. "Everything is going to be all right, you'll see. It'll be over before you know it and we can finally get out of this hospital." He tried to smile, but it came out looking forced and crooked.

Marissa hoped he was right and forced herself to nod and smile as well; it was hard pretending that everything was all right and, even though she had been doing it all her life, it was difficult. She attempted to push her thoughts away from the operation scheduled in only a handful of hours. Unbidden, Oliver entered her mind and a question slipped from her lips before she could stop it. "Ryan, after everything that happened with Oliver, after how I didn't listen to you...way did you forgive me so easily?"

Ryan seemed taken by surprise by the question; it was one he had never asked himself before, never even stopped to think about how everything seemed to have just slipped away. "After Oliver...shot you nothing from before seemed to matter anymore. It didn't matter that you hadn't listened, that you didn't believe, because I knew that you needed me and that was the most important thing." He answered, hoping his answer was what Marissa was looking for. Ryan hoped that she understood, hoped that she realized that she was the most important thing in his world and that nothing else mattered.

Marissa was silent for a moment, staring into his eyes with a mixture of emotions shining in her own; the only thing she saw in Ryan's eyes was the truth in his words and the love that he seemed to have for her. How had she not noticed it before, how had she looked into those eyes days before and not seen what she was seeing now? "I love you, Ryan Atwood." Marissa whispered, pressing her face against his chest and shutting her eyes, enjoying the way his arms felt around her.

Ryan rested his cheek on the crown of her head, wrapping his arms tightly around Marissa. "I love you too. I always have."

Marissa knew he was telling the truth.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirsten was finally awoken by a strange assortment of smells coming from the kitchen, drifting upstairs and tickling her nose and dragging her out of her perfect dream-world. Her eyes opened slowly as her mind still clung to sleep and her nose sought to identify whatever she was smelling and she found herself alone in her king sized bed. Instantly, she felt bad about leaving Sandy back at the hospital, alone and she sat up quickly, yawning and stretching her hands over her head.

Feeling a bit more rested then she had when she had arrived home from the hospital, Kirsten slipped out of bed and started toward the stairs. Before she got a shower and a change of clothes, she had to figure out what sort of madness was taking place in the kitchen. As she got nearer to the bottom level of the house, she was able to pick out one distinct smell: smoke and quickened her pace a little; the only other person in the house with her was Seth and he had certainly inherited her gene for cooking. Kirsten was surprised the smoke alarms hadn't gone off by that point.

Seth was indeed in the kitchen, jabbing at a smoking pancake -or what Kirsten had to assume was a pancake- on a pan over the stove while a blank-faced Summer stood beside him. Kirsten noticed that Summer's eyes seemed to have regained a bit of their sparkle, but the same dull and dead expression was on her face, but she knew there was a little bit of progress being made.

"Seth." Kirsten said and her son jumped, having clearly not realized she had come into the room.

Seth dropped his pan back onto the burner and whirled around. "Mom." He still seemed surprised. "I didn't even know you were home." Summer turned to look at her as well, raising her hand in a small wave.

"What are you doing?" Kirsten questioned, gesturing toward the smoking pan. Summer shut off the burner. "Seth, you could burn the house down." It was something she had almost done many a time when she kept kidding herself that she might become a better chef.

Seth raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think you're over-exaggerating things?" He questioned, seeming to be able to ignore the fact that the kitchen was filled with smoke. "I was trying to cook breakfast for me and Summer."

Kirsten made a noncommittal noise, wondering if Summer had agreed to eat such a breakfast. "Well, since that obviously didn't work out," Seth narrowed his eyes. "Why don't we pick up some doughnuts on the way to the hospital?"

Summer's brow knitted at the mention of the hospital but she didn't say anything; Seth looked over at her and attempted to read the emotion in her eyes. Her face and eyes were blank, like they always seemed to be and he couldn't even begin to guess what she was feeling. He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it tightly and Summer held onto his hand tightly, as though letting go would mean losing contact with everything.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For nearly an hour, doctors and nurses had been in and out of Marissa's room, each with their own explanations on what was going to happen in the matter of an hour. With every new doctor, Marissa got more and more nervous, terrified down into the pit of her stomach, which felt cold and smothering. Her fingers were shaking and she hid them beneath the covers, so that no one could see them and her mouth was dry; everything in her mind was telling her that this whole thing was a mistake, that she shouldn't go through with it. Every time she even thought about the operation, she found her eyes filling with tears that threatened to fall. Somehow, Marissa didn't think she had ever been so scared.

After yet another doctor departed, Ryan turned to look at Marissa, who was wringing her shaking fingers together, her knuckles white. He took her hands, noticed how badly they were shaking, and she looked up at him, looking as though she was trying to hide just how afraid she was. "Hey, it's going to be okay all right? I promise." Ryan said, kissing her gently.

Marissa attempted to nod, sighing and resting her forehead against his, looking down at her hands, still held in his. "I wish you could be there with me." She whispered. "I wish I didn't have to be alone."

Ryan released her hands and lightly brushed his fingers across her cheeks, causing Marissa to look up again. "I'm going to be right here when you get back." He told her. "When you wake up, I'll be here."

Marissa kissed him, trying to take some comfort in his words. But somehow, even Ryan couldn't make her fear go away.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirsten remembered why she never took Seth with her to the doughnut shop anymore. Her son stood in front of the glass that separated the doughnuts from the customers, staring at the pastries inside while Summer, Kirsten and everyone else in the store stared at him. "Seth," Summer mumbled impatiently, "It's just a doughnut. Pick one."

Seth looked up and over at her and his mother. "But you don't understand, it's not just a doughnut; doughnuts are the ultimate influencers."

"Uh-huh." Kirsten said, deadpan. "And how does a pastry influence anything?" She wasn't really sure she wanted to know what the answer to that question was.

Seth seemed like he had been born to answer such a question. "Say that you're in the mood for chocolate so you go to the doughnut place to get a chocolate one. But you get there and you see all these other flavors like strawberry and blueberry and suddenly you don't know what kind of doughnut you want. Are you in the mood for a strawberry or a-"

"Enough Cohen." Summer snapped with more emotion then she had shown in the past few days. Seth instantly fell silent and Summer gave her attention to the man behind the counter. "We'll just take two dozen glazed." She said, looking at Kirsten for confirmation and Kirsten nodded. The doughnuts were purchased and the trio headed out of the shop.

Seth looked over at Summer but the emotion she had shown moments ago had disappeared once again. At least he knew, without a doubt, that the old Summer was in there somewhere.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sandy, Hailey and Jimmy were pooling their change for a trip to the vending machines when Kirsten, Seth and Summer walked into the waiting room. Hailey's tired eyes instantly lit up when she saw the box that her sister was carrying. "Rescued by sugar." She stated happily, jumping to her feet and hurrying over to relieve Kirsten of the doughnut box. "Did I ever tell you that you were my favorite sister?" She smiled.

Kirsten couldn't help but smile back; she hadn't seen Hailey smile that way since she had arrived and she was glad that her mostly bubbly sister was making a comeback. Maybe they all were making their own little comebacks.

Hailey returned with the box and set it on the table in front of Jimmy and Sandy and flipped open the box quickly, snatching up one of the pastries before anyone else could. Sandy gave his wife and hello kiss when she sat down beside him. "Sorry I didn't wake you before I left." Kirsten said.

"You brought breakfast, apology accepted." Sandy smiled and picked up a doughnut. Kirsten did likewise and inquired about Marissa, to which her husband told her she was fine but nervous about the upcoming operation.

Jimmy grabbed his own doughnut and went to sit down next to Hailey, but she stood up before he could even make it to her, heading over to the opposite corner and making it very clear that she wanted to be alone. He watched her, hurt by the way she was avoiding him and making no move to conceal that fact. What was he doing wrong? What had changed? Jimmy just wished he could get the chance to ask her.

Kirsten finished her doughnut and decided against grabbing another; she looked over at Jimmy and noticed him staring at Hailey, who was avoiding any type of eye contact. She hated to see him hurt once again by her sister; she was going to have to talk to Hailey next chance she got. To change the subject, Kirsten questioned, "Where's Julie? I thought she'd be here by now." She loathed the idea of Julie Cooper spending all night with her father.

Jimmy turned his attention to Kirsten. "That's what I thought too." He shrugged. "Maybe Marissa's better without her." He almost believed that was true.

Kirsten wiped her fingers off on a napkin and stood up. "I'm going to go see Marissa and wish her good luck." She thought about it for a second; 'good luck' sounded like such a strange thing to say at a time like this.

Sandy and Jimmy nodded and Kirsten headed out of the waiting room and down the all too familiar hallway toward Marissa's room. When she arrived, she found Marissa propped up on pillows with her head bowed and her hair falling across her face, creating the perfect mask. "Where's Ryan?" Kirsten questioned when she saw that the room was empty.

"He went to get some water." Marissa answered and Kirsten could tell instantly that the girl was crying.

Kirsten sat down on the bed beside her. "Honey, what's wrong?" She questioned, resting her hand on her shoulder. Marissa lifted her head, her hair falling back, relieving her tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes. "Are you all right?"

Marissa sniffed and wiped away some of her tears. She thought about lying but instead said, "No." Another tear fell down her cheeks. "I'm so scared." She admitted, her voice little more then a whisper.

Kirsten noticed that Marissa's hands her shaking and realized that the girl was more then scared, she was terrified. "It's okay, Marissa." She said, hugging Marissa in what she hoped was a comforting way.

"What if something goes wrong? What if the operation doesn't work at all?" Marissa questioned, resting her face against Kirsten's shoulder. This was something her mother would have never done; hell, Julie probably wouldn't have even noticed that she was crying. Kirsten held her in a reassuring, motherly way that reminded Marissa of the way Julie used to hug her, when she was barely out of diapers. What had changed?

"Whether it works or not you're always going to have people that love you and care for you." Kirsten told Marissa. "And we're going to love you no matter what happens." She gave Marissa a motherly kiss on the cheek before pulling away.

Marissa looked at Kirsten and nodded slowly; what Kirsten had said was true, Ryan and her dad were going to love her no matter what happened with the operation. She wiped away her tears, her heart not hammering in her chest near as much as it had been moments before. "Thanks Ms. Cohen."

Kirsten nodded and offered the teenager a slight smile. Ryan walked into the room, carrying two Styrofoam cups filled with water and both girls looked over at him. "Are you okay Marissa?" He questioned, looking worried the instant he saw her tear-filled eyes.

Marissa nodded. "I think so." She answered, taking one of the cups from Ryan. "For now anyway." She studied the cup for a moment before setting it aside; the last doctor that had visited had reminded her not to eat or drink anything and she didn't want to take her chances.

The nurse that was most often in Marissa's room entered then, pushing a wheelchair in front of her and Marissa felt her heart start to hammer again. "Are you ready, Marissa?" The nurse questioned, her voice kind and gentle.

Marissa took a deep breath. "If I say no will you come back later?" She questioned but no one smiled and that was okay with her. She hadn't meant it to be funny. Ryan helped the nurse get Marissa out of bed and into the wheelchair waiting for her.

Ryan held Marissa's hand tightly. "I'll see you in a few hours." He whispered, kissing her. "I love you."

Marissa squeezed his hand and wished that she didn't have to ever let go. The nurse wheeled her down the hallway and Ryan watched the chair until it disappeared inside the elevator, feeling more lost and alone then he had ever had before in his life.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Julie arrived with Caleb shortly after Marissa was given the anesthetic before her operation was due to start. Jimmy shot her a look but remained silent, worried about what would come out of his mouth if he let himself speak. Julie did look genuinely pained when she heard that Marissa was already in the ER and took her seat silently, looking worried for her daughter's sake.

Everyone was in the waiting room, aside from Ryan, who had remained in Marissa's room to make sure that he kept his promise to her. Summer was due for her therapy session in ten minutes and sat in her chair silently, with her knees drawn up to her chin and her legs wrapped tightly around her legs. Seth sat next to her, trying to get her mind off Marissa, therapy and her own private demons. Aside from Seth's near whispered words, the room was silent, with everyone thinking about Marissa and hoping that the operation would produce the results they all hoped for.

Dr. Browning entered the room and cleared his throat, which caused the entire room to look over at him. His eyes settled on Jimmy and Julie. "Can I speak to you two for a moment, please?" He questioned, waiting impatiently by the entrance of the room for them to stand and join him. They walked into the hallway and Browning wasted no time telling them the reason he had sought them out. "I know that you're both worried about your daughter, but we need to discuss how you're going to pay for her operations and hospital bills. Your insurance won't cover the cost of everything."

Jimmy sighed, shutting his eyes and rolling his fingers into slack fists; no matter what happened, everything always came back to money and, more often then not, money problems. He exhaled and looked up back at Browning. "We've been dealing with money issues lately; I'm not sure how we're going to be able to pay for everything."

Browning didn't look pleased by this statement but Julie spoke up before he had a chance to say anything. "I can ask Cal if he'll give us a loan." She said, seeming to speak more to Jimmy or herself then to the doctor. "I'm sure he'll be happy to help."

Browning nodded. "I'll bring you the necessary paperwork." He headed off toward the nurse's station to retrieve the paperwork in question.

Jimmy looked at his ex-wife, brow knitting. "You don't have to ask Caleb." He said, his voice low and harsh. "We can handle this."

Julie looked at him evenly. "By stealing more money?" She questioned sharply, continuing before Jimmy had a chance to respond. "As endearing as it is, your pride won't pay for your daughter's operation."

Jimmy was too surprised to speak and Julie used his silence to join Browning at the nurse's station. He watched her disappear, realizing she was right and hating himself for it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seth held onto Summer's hands, a comforting gesture that didn't really succeed. "It's only thirty minutes." He reminded her. "And when that doctor gets down trying to shrink you, I'll be waiting out here."

Summer nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Cohen." She pulled her hands free and ducked inside the therapist's office.

Seth watched the door swing shut behind her and sighed, hoping that someone would be able to figure out how to help Summer when he seemed to be failing. He sat down on the wooden bench in the hallway and picked up a magazine but found himself unable to concentrate on anything in front of him. All he could think about was Summer.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Only thirty minutes had passed but all the doughnuts were gone and Hailey was hungry again and so she stood in front of the collection of vending machines digging change out of her pocket.

Jimmy looked up from the water cooler, bringing his Styrofoam cup to his lips, his eyes scanning the hallways; Julie was still talking with Browning, as well as Caleb, about payment options for Marissa's hospital bills. Kirsten and Sandy were sitting alone in the waiting room, playing tic-tac-toe on the back of an old magazine. Jimmy's eyes finally settled on Hailey, who was counting the change in her palm and not looking too happy with the results. He set his cup aside and headed over to her.

"Hailey, can I talk to you?" Jimmy questioned. His sudden appearance caused Hailey to jump, most of the change falling to the floor; she spun around and let out a deep sigh.

"God, don't do that any more." She snapped. "I've been snuck up on enough times in the past month." Hailey mumbled this last part, bending down and starting to gather the change around her feet.

Jimmy bent down in front of her. "No kidding." She looked up at him. "Hailey, I've seen your eye, I know somebody hit you." Hailey's brow knitted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hailey got to her feet and attempted to make a quick getaway but the vending machines behind her only allowed her to back up so far. She looked at Jimmy and saw that his eyes were filled with concern, that he genuinely cared that she had been hurt. "What was I supposed to tell you? That some asshole in L.A. hit me whenever he felt like it?" Hailey snapped, staring down at the floor, unwilling to see the look in Jimmy's eyes when she spoke.

Jimmy took a step toward her. "Why did you let him?" He questioned, able to see her black eye more clearly now that the makeup had been rubbed off during sleep. "Why didn't you just leave." He touched her shoulder and Hailey didn't pull away.

"It wasn't that easy." Hailey whispered, tears stinging her swollen eye as she attempted to blink them away. "I had no where to go."

Jimmy gently cupped her cheek in his fingers and caused her to lift her head. "You could have come here." He told her, wondering what could have been so bad in New Port that staying with a man that hit her was a better choice.

"And what would I have told Kirsten?" Hailey questioned, a single tear slipping onto her cheek. "That her baby sister couldn't make a living at doing anything but being a striper in a nightclub? That she had to live with a man she had only known for a few days because she couldn't afford a place for herself? That she let him hit her because he gave her a place to stay?" More tears fell down and Hailey bowed her head.

Jimmy pulled her into his arms and she let him, trying to feel safe. For a while, he was silent, holding her because he knew that was what she needed the most, unable to think of anything to say. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "You could have come to stay with me, there's a really nice fold out couch in the living room." He wasn't quite sure if he meant it to be a joke but Hailey let out a little laugh anyway and Jimmy smiled slightly.

Hailey finally lifted her head and looked at him. "When I told Jacob, that's the ass that hit me, that I was leaving he said he would kill me if I ever _did _leave him. That's when I decided that living with my father would even be better then staying with him."

Jimmy kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you left." He said, wishing to say more but knowing now was not the time.

For a moment, Hailey didn't look so sure. "He said he would find me if I left." She told Jimmy, resisting the urge to bit onto her bottom lip since it still throbbed from Jacob's parting blow. "You don't think he really meant it?" At that moment, Hailey wanted nothing more then for Jimmy to tell her that everything was going to be all right, that she could put everything behind her and start all over in New Port, whether it was true or not.

"If he shows up here, I won't let him touch you." Jimmy said, sounding more assured and strong then Hailey had ever heard someone sound before.

And that was why Hailey really believed that he was going to protect her and keep her safe from whatever she was running from. She leaned forward and gave him a light kiss, pulling away before he could even react, smiling at him. No matter how hard she had tried to overlook it, Jimmy really cared about her, Hailey realized that now and for the first time, that fact didn't scare her.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours had passed and Ryan hadn't moved from Marissa's empty hospital room; throughout the day, Kirsten and Sandy had come in to give him a little company but had quickly left when they realized the only company he wanted was Marissa's. Until her operation was over and she was back in her hospital bed, he preferred to be alone with only his thoughts and worries.

When Dr. Browning finally arrived in the waiting room with news about Marissa's operation, it was nearly nightfall and everyone was trying to decide what to do for dinner. Seth and Summer were playing dominoes and Summer looked a more like her old self then she had in the past couple of days and even laughed when Seth told one of his more creative jokes.

As soon as Browning entered, however, everyone stopped whatever they were doing and talking about and looked in his direction. A palpable silence filled with the room and Jimmy's breath froze in his chest because, for a moment, he was certain that the doctor was going to tell him that something was wrong with his daughter.

"Marissa's operation is over." Browning began. "And though we won't know anything until Marissa's wakes up from the anesthetic, the doctors that preformed the operation believe it was a success."

A large smile spread across Jimmy's face and he squeezed Hailey's hand and she smiled as well; Julie let out a sigh of relief, a smile turning out the corners of her lips. "That's great news." Sandy said, nodded and patting Jimmy on the back, knowing that a huge burden had been removed from his heart. It had been removed from all of their hearts.

Seth looked over at Summer and was surprised to see that she was smiling as well, looking happier then she had in a long time. She looked over at him when she noticed he was staring at her and the smile didn't disappear. "Marissa's going to be all right." She said as though he hadn't heard the news for himself.

Seth nodded and smiled slightly. Marissa was going to be all right, maybe they all were.


	17. An Old Friend

__

Thanks for all the reviews! It means a lot, keep 'em coming!

Chapter Seventeen

An Old Friend

Hours had passed since Marissa's operation had come to an end and night had once again claimed New Port Beach. The waiting room was nearly empty now, with only Hailey, Seth and Summer sitting in the hard plastic chairs, waiting to hear if the operation was really a success. Marissa's family and Ryan had been in her hospital room ever since Dr. Browning had come to tell them that he believed the operation to be successful. Sandy and Kirsten had gone back to the Cohen house to see what food they could throw together to make another dinner to be eaten in the hospital waiting room.

Hailey sighed as she threw her legs over the metal arm rests of the chairs, stretching out as best she could with her head resting on Jimmy's jacket and her hair tangled around her face. "I'm hungry." She mumbled, more to herself then to the teenagers around her. "I hope Kirsten brings dinner soon, because I am really not looking forward to another meal out of the vending machines."

Seth nodded off-handedly, but his mind was far from what his aunt was saying; he was worried for Marissa, but most of his thoughts belonged to the quiet girl sitting beside him. He still hadn't gotten used to how quiet Summer was now, how she sat nearly motionless with a blank expression on her face and images behind her round eyes. Images that were causing her to act this way, images he couldn't even begin to understand. Seth looked over at Summer, and took her hand, squeezing gently; Summer returned his gaze, looking as though she wanted to smile but couldn't.

Hailey mumbled something more about being hungry and then remained silent, realizing now wasn't the time to be complaining, even half-heartedly. She'd been through worse and never opened her mouth, it wouldn't be hard to be quiet now.

And so, the waiting room was silent, with the three people inside left to their own thoughts, waiting for news about Marissa.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Marissa awoke, she felt like her entire head was stuffed full of cotton; cotton in her ears, her eyes, her nose, her throat. But mostly her head, which felt heavy and groggy and she wondered if she could even lift it off the pillows behind her. Thoughts swarmed in her head uncontrollably and it was hard for Marissa to get a handle on anything. Finally, her thoughts began to dissolve and a dizziness filled her head, her throat and mouth dry and she had to force her stomach not to flip.

Marissa opened one eye cautiously, fearing an assault by the lights in the room, but the lights were dim and she could see that it was night outside. Her other eye opened and his gaze instantly feel upon Ryan, who was holding her hand and looking half asleep, his hair falling across his face at messy angles. The sight of him would have made her smile if not for the heaviness of her head and the dull pain in her back; seeing him also made her remember everything that had happened hours ago: the operation.

"Ryan." Marissa mumbled, her voice scratchy and dull because of her dry tongue. Her words were little more then a whisper but they were enough to cause Ryan to lift his head and fully open his eyes.

At the sound of their daughter's voice, Julie and Jimmy also looked in her direction; Jimmy felt a smile begin to curl up the corners of his lips. She was finally awake, they were finally going to know if the operation had been successful or not.

Ryan smiled as well, sitting up straighter. "Hey baby." He said, his voice barely above a whisper either, a sign that he hadn't spoken in a few hours. "How are you feeling?"

Marissa thought for a moment. "Like I'm going to throw up." She admitted, her voice cracking slightly. The pain in her back was getting worse and she attempted to remain as still as possible, unwilling to bring further pain upon herself.

Julie knelt by her daughter's beside and gently touched her cheek. "How else do you feel?" She questioned and Marissa looked at her with a slightly confused look on her face. "I mean, do you feel anything else?" It was the question they all wanted an answer too but dreaded asking, for fear of getting the answer they weren't prepared for.

Marissa remembered now: the reason for the operation; she looked down at her feet, laying motionless beneath the thin hospital sheets. It was the first time she realized that she could faintly feel the fabric brushing against the tops of her toes, something she hadn't felt before. Slowly, she attempted to move her big toe; the motion caused the ache in her back to return but she didn't notice, the fact that her toe responded taking up all her attention.

Ryan watched her closely, silently, as she curled her toes; he couldn't think of anything to say, his mind completely overwhelmed. The operation had been a success! Marissa would be able to walk again, she was going to be all right, everything was going to be all right. He squeezed her hand tightly and she looked over at him, her eyes wide with unshed tears.

"It worked." She whispered, her voice hoarse, so low that she could barely hear herself.

Jimmy was standing beside Julie, about to ask his daughter to speak up, when Dr. Browning and another surgeon they had never seen before entered the room. "Good to see you're awake Marissa." Browning said, standing near the bottom of Marissa's bed. "How to you feel?"

Marissa could only nod, not trusting herself to speak at the moment, only able to think of one thing. It had worked, she was going to be able to walk again. That was the only thought repeating through her head.

"Marissa," Began the other doctor, one that she vaguely recognized from the moments before she was administered the anesthetic. "I like you to move your toes, one by one, on your left foot. Can you do that?"

Marissa did as he asked, ignoring the dull ache in her back, looking down at her feet as though she had never seen anything quite like them. She had tried moving her toes in the long nights when she was awake alone, feeling broken and defeated when they didn't even twitch. But now, now her toes were moving just as they always had, and if it hadn't been for the pain in her back, Marissa would have been happy to pretend nothing had ever happened.

"Very good." Said the other doctor, nodding once. "Though we can't be sure of anything until Marissa begins physical therapy and actually stands up, I believe the operation was a complete success."

Ryan squeezed Marissa's hand tightly, a smile on his face; he didn't think he'd ever heard better news before. "That's great." He said, giving Marissa a quick kiss on he lips as he stood. "That's so great." He gave her another kiss.

"Where are you going?" Marissa questioned, watching him stand with a slightly confused expression on her face. She had never seen Ryan so absolutely happy, and it made her feel even more relieved then she already was. Everything really _was _going to be all right after all.

Ryan gave her another quick kiss. "I'll be right back." He assured her, hurrying out of the room, ignoring the raised eyebrow looks the doctors were giving him. He headed down the hallway toward the waiting room, feeling as though a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders, a great weight taken off his heart.

In the waiting room, Hailey looked like she was asleep, stretched out across the uncomfortable chairs with her arm thrown over her eyes, blocking out the light. Summer and Seth were playing Charades, with Seth acting out something and Summer staring at him like he had gone crazy. As soon as Ryan rushing into the room, everyone looked in his direction, including Hailey, who nearly rolled off her chairs.

"Marissa can walk again." Ryan declared, the grin still on his face, growing wider with every second. "She can walk again."

Before anyone could say even a single word, Ryan had turned around and was tearing out of the room once again, heading down the hallway toward the cafeteria and the gift shop. Seth raised an eyebrow and called out, "Where are you going?" Ryan was too far ahead to answer.

Summer smiled slightly. "Coop's all right." She said, sounding more like her old self then she had in the past few days. She quickly got to her feet. "I have to go see her." She grabbed Seth's wrist and tugged him toward the hallway; Seth followed dutifully, happy to see Summer happy.

Hailey was alone in the room before she even realized that she was. "That's great." She said to no one, since she hadn't had the chance to even open her mouth before Ryan had sped off again. "That's the best news I've heard in a long time." She got to her feet, yawned, and headed off in the direction of Marissa's hospital room.

The gift shop wasn't far from the waiting room and Ryan reached it within seconds, eager to buy Marissa's bouquet as quickly as possible in order to get back to her. He hurried past the clerk on duty so fast that he didn't even glance in her direction and headed toward the back of the store, where the wall was lined with refrigerators filled with bouquets of all shapes and varieties.

Ryan stared into the glass case, his own faint reflection staring back at him and he saw just how big the smile was on his face; he felt like telling everyone he came across that Marissa was all right, that the girl he loved was going to be okay.

Figuring he only had about ten dollars in his pocket, Ryan decided to go with a medium bouquet of tiger lilies and some other flower he couldn't identify, since lilies were Marissa's favorite flower. He carefully retrieved the bouquet, wrapped in cellophane paper, and headed back toward the checkout desk. He paused for a moment, studying a tiny stuffed bear holding a large stuffed heart.

"Ryan?" He looked up, trying to figure out who had spoken his name. "Ryan Atwood." He recognized the voice even before his eyes found the speaker.

Teresa Ramirez was standing beside the counter with a smile upon her face, eyes sparkling with recognition, her dark hair falling across her powder-pink uniform which bore the hospital logo and a nametag. "Ryan Atwood." She repeated with a nod, her grin growing wider.

Ryan was surprised that his mouth didn't drop open, he was so surprised to see Teresa standing in front of him; the last time he saw her had been in Chino, when he and Marissa had gone down for Thanksgiving. She looked a little different, but her face was still that of the girl he had grown up with, the one he had down musicals with and spent long, boring hours with. "Teresa." He said, a smile appearing on his face as well. "What are you doing here?"

"No 'how are you' or 'what's new?'" Teresa questioned with a smile. "Same old Ryan."

Ryan stepped closer to her. "How are you?" He questioned, unable to help himself. "What's new? What are you doing here?"

Teresa rolled her eyes. "Work's hard to find in Chino." She answered. "Not much has changed since you left."

Ryan nodded, he knew exactly how difficult it was to find a decent paying job, or any paying job, in Chino; times were always hard, money was always tight. "You look good." He told her, laying Marissa's bouquet on the counter, the flower's momentarily forgotten. "A little different but good."

Teresa said the same about him and added, "It's hard to keep your figure when you're four months pregnant."

This time, Ryan's mouth did drop open. "Pregnant?" He repeated, as though he hadn't heard correctly. Teresa nodded, confirming his words. "When? Who?" His best friend was pregnant at seventeen.

"You remember Eddie Jones, right?" Teresa questioned and Ryan nodded. Eddie Jones and Ryan's brother, Trey, had been best friend's growing up. "Well, he proposed a couple of months ago and we got married. And now I'm pregnant."

Ryan let her words sink in for a moment. "You and Eddie." He mused slowly. "I never would have guessed, you two never got along."

Teresa nodded, smiling at his words. "Yeah, who knew all those years when he was pushing me in the mud and braiding worms into my hair that he really liked me." She sighed, almost wistfully. "I'm happy, Ryan, for once I'm actually happy." She looked him directly in the eye as she spoke, as though trying to read his thoughts. She wondered how life in New Port had been treating him, if he was happy after having escaping Chino.

"That's great, Teresa." Ryan said and his words were genuine and so was his smile. "Things sure have changed since I left."

Teresa nodded. "Yeah, they have." She agreed, her voice taking on a wistful tone again. "But I think they're finally changing for the better." Ryan smiled. "So, how's New Port life going?"

Ryan sighed, unsure of where to begin. "You remember my girlfriend, Marissa?" Teresa nodded. "She's in the hospital."

Teresa's eyes went wide. "My God, why?" She questioned, sounding honestly worried about the girl she had only met once. She had liked Marissa when they had met during Thanksgiving, she was such a sweet girl and it tugged at her heart to think of something bad happening to her.

Another sigh escaped Ryan's lips. "I don't really know where to begin." He mumbled. "There was this kid, Oliver, who was obsessed with Marissa and he locked her in his penthouse apartment. When I came to get her, he shot her and then shot himself." Teresa's eyes remained wide throughout his short explanation. "She was paralyzed but the doctors preformed this operation and now she can walk again." He couldn't keep from smiling at those words.

Teresa gestured toward the flowers. "So I'm guessing these are for her." She said, punching a few numbers into the cash register and ringing up the bouquet. "I'm glad she's all right, Ryan."

Ryan nodded in agreement, pulling out his wallet and handing Teresa a crumpled ten dollar bill. Teresa put the bill in the register and Ryan retrieved the bouquet. She smiled at him. "I'm glad I got to see you Ryan, it was nice catching up."

"Well, we still have a lot of catching up to do." Ryan pointed out. "I want to hear all about everything I've been missing."

Teresa nodded. "Okay, we'll have lunch one day." She agreed with a smile. "You'd better be in touch, Ryan Atwood."

Ryan smiled. "It's a promise." They bid each other goodbye and Ryan walked out of the gift shop, Marissa's bouquet nestled in his hands. He thought about seeing Teresa, about how she was married and had a baby on the way; things sure had changed, Chino wasn't the same anymore. He couldn't help but think, for a fleeting moment, if Teresa would still be married to Eddie if he had stuck around; there had always been something between them, despite the unspoken agreement that they would never be anything more then friends.

Whether or not Teresa would still be a married woman was beside the point; Ryan was just happy to have seen her.

Marissa's hospital room was crowded with people by the time Ryan returned; Summer had taken his seat beside her bed, the two friends looking almost happy again. Jimmy and Julie were crowded beside their daughter's bed and Hailey was nearby, not looking out of place but not appearing exactly comfortable either.

Marissa looked away from Summer when Ryan entered and smiled when her eyes settled upon the bouquet in his hands. "Ryan, they're beautiful." She told him, smiling the cluster of flowers when he handed the bouquet to her. She smiled again. "Thank you."

Hailey took one of the old vases and headed into the bathroom to fill it with water, seeming pleased to be able to make herself useful. Marissa unwrapped the flowers from their cellophane and neatly arranged them in the water filled vase Hailey provided.

Ryan stood next to Summer's chair, taking Marissa's hand and kissing her knuckles gently; Marissa smiled at him, reminded again of just how much she loved him. "Marissa, you remember Teresa, don't you? My friend from Chino?" Ryan said suddenly. Marissa nodded, though she wasn't sure what Teresa had to do with anything. "She works at the gift shop now, I just ran into her."

Seth looked over at him. "That is so weird." He said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Ryan. In the weeks following Ryan's arrival at the Cohen house, he had told Seth about Teresa and how he once thought that they might get together, despite the fact that they were just friends. Seth's words and look were a not so subtle reminder to Ryan about their conversation.

Ryan chose to ignore both of these reminders. "Yeah, she's married to this guy, Eddie, now and she's pregnant with his kid." He added. "It's weird how things change."

Marissa studied him carefully, noticing the way his eyes seemed to light up when he mentioned Teresa; she knew that he and Teresa had been friends since they were little but sometimes friends turned into something more. _Don't be stupid_, she told herself, rolling her eyes _Ryan loves you, you know that. It's obvious. _ But she couldn't help but wonder... "Are you going to see her again?" Marissa had asked the question before she even realized it.

Ryan looked at her and nodded. "I want to catch up on what been going on." He told her and Marissa didn't know how she felt by his answer.

_They're just friends, _Marissa reminded herself firmly and forced herself to smile. Ryan was allowed to have friends, after all. And they were friends...right? Of course, that was all they were: friends.

Hailey yawned again and Jimmy looked over at her. "I think I'll head back to Kirsten's house, tell her the good news." She suggested.

"I'll go with you." Jimmy suggested and Hailey smiled. She had misjudged him earlier, thinking that he wouldn't like her anymore after he learned the truth about her recent lifestyle.

Jimmy kissed Marissa on the forehead before promising to be back soon and he and Hailey headed out of the hospital room and toward the elevator. On the ride down, Jimmy reached out and took her hand, and Hailey looked over at him and smiled.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The porch lights were on when Jimmy pulled into the Cohen's driveway. He stepped out of his car and hurried around to her side to open the door for her; Hailey smiled as she stepped out as well. No one had ever opened the door for her before. He took her hand again as they walked up the driveway, stopping on the porch; Jimmy studied her for a moment, seeing how she was still beautiful in spite of her black eye and split lip.

Jimmy cleared his throat. "I'm glad you came back, Hailey." He told her and Hailey couldn't help but smile.

"I think I might stick around for a while now." She told him. "What reason do I have to leave?"

Jimmy smiled as well, leaning forward and kissing her gently; she returned his kiss, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist. When the kiss was finally broken, a smile was still on her face. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jimmy." She said.

"Night, Hailey." Jimmy gave her another quick kiss on the cheek before Hailey opened the front door and stepped inside the house that belonged to her sister. Jimmy remained standing on the front stoop for a moment, a smile on his face. He wished Hailey hadn't left so quickly but they had plenty of time to be together. Jimmy turned and headed back to his car, thinking only of Hailey.

Hailey shut the door quietly behind her, wondering if Kirsten and Sandy were still awake and turned around, leaning against the door, a soft smile on her face. She was startled to see Kirsten peeking her head out from the kitchen, her eye brow raised. Hailey sighed. "Don't you think I'm a little old to be spied on?"

Kirsten didn't say anything at first. "Look, Hailey, you're my sister and I love you but Jimmy's one of my oldest friend's and I love him too and I don't want to see you hurt him." She said and the smile disappeared from her sister's face. "If you're planning on leaving in a few days, please tell him, but it breaks my heart to see him so upset every time you blow out of town."

"I don't plan on hurting him." Hailey answered, no malice in her voice because there was nothing but honest concern in Kirsten's. "I think," She paused, trying to figure out what she was about to say, "I think that I really might be in love with him."

Hailey's words caught Kirsten off guard but she smiled nonetheless. "At least you've finally met a decent guy this time."

Hailey nodded; Kirsten was more right then she could ever realize. She walked away from the door and joined Kirsten, the two sisters embracing quickly. Hailey smiled at her older sister. "I think so too."

Kirsten smiled. "I hope you stick around, Hailey." She said. "I miss you when you're gone."

Hailey's smile grew wider; she really did love her sister. "I miss you too." A moment of silence passed between them before she spoke again. "So, what's for dinner? I'm starving."


	18. The Truth About Tennis

Chapter Eighteen

The Truth Behind Tennis

When the sun rose the following day, it was hidden behind a handful of gray clouds, which seemed to be growing with every moment, giving New Port Beach a strange sort of glow caused by the not quite sunrise. By the time is was mid-morning, the clouds had grown thicker and the sun wasn't visible, another overcast day in paradise.

The first thing Marissa did when she felt herself begin to wake was curl her toes, keeping her eyes closed and holding her breath, making sure that it wasn't just a dream. Her legs responded like they should have, she was nearly normal once again.

Exhaling with a faint smile on her face (she realized she had been doing a lot of smiling lately), Marissa opened her eyes, chasing away the last wisps of sleep and letting herself adjust to her surroundings, which had slowly become more and more familiar. Including the presence of Ryan, who was sleeping soundly beside her, his fingers limply intertwined with hers. As she watched him, Marissa realized just how stupid she was to have ever thought that Ryan would love anyone but her. Teresa _was _just a good friend; seeing Ryan asleep beside her was further proof of that.

Marissa sighed contently and shifted her gaze away from Ryan and toward the ceiling of her hospital room, counting the grooves and nicks in the plaster. For the first time in days, she felt as though she had nothing to worry about, like a huge burden had been lifted off her heart and everything really was going to be all right after all.

When Dr. Browning quietly entered the room, peeking in to see if she was awake, Marissa looked over at him, a faint smile still on her lips. Browning seemed to brighten at her state. "Good morning, Marissa." He said, tucking his clipboard under his arm. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." Marissa answered truthfully. There was a beat of silence and she knew that now was as good a time as any to ask the question tugging at her mind since she'd regained the use of her legs. "When do you think I'm going to be able to go home?"

Browning remained silent, taking in her question and letting it settle in his mind; sending patients home was something that had to be debated carefully, all the pros and cons and possible outcomes weighed heavily upon. "Well," he began, "I wanted to start your physical therapy today but if you do as well as I hope, there's a chance you might even be able to go home later this evening." It was a stretch but Marissa seemed completely recovered and though he knew looks could be deceiving, her recovery was something Browning wasn't second-guessing about.

Marissa's smile returned, even bigger then it had been before. "Great." She said and, in truth, it was. It was absolutely fantastic. "When do I start?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hailey squinted her eyes as she read over the nearly printed and quite extensive list her sister had given her earlier that morning. "If I didn't have to work, I'd go to the store myself," Kirsten had said at what had felt like the crack of dawn as she got her briefcase organized. "But you know how dad is. Anyway, I made the list as clear as possible and you can just use the Visa." She had rushed out of the house then, leaving Hailey standing in the kitchen with a shopping list, trying to wake herself up enough to even read it.

And now, as she stood in the fresh produce section, Hailey still couldn't figure out why the list Kirsten had given her was so long. Her sister didn't even cook, what did she need all of this food for? But she wasn't about to say that to Kirsten, now was she?

Tossing the list back into the cart she was not so gently shoving along in front of her, Hailey sighed and continued along the chilled aisles, studying the assorted fruits, trying to figure out which apples were Washington Apples. _This is so boring, _she thought to herself as she grabbed several apples and tossed them into the cart, not caring whether or not they were Washington. She was never going grocery shopping again.

With the apples crossed off the list, Hailey headed toward the front of the store, wishing that she was one of the lucky ones in the check-out lines. She still had a ways to go, since the apples were the first thing she had been able to cross off her list. She didn't even want to look at what was left, it was too dispiriting.

Hailey was studying a display of different ready-to-make pastas when she felt someone grab her arm with a considerable amount of force, causing her breath to catch in her throat. Even before she turned to look, she knew who she would see standing behind her; only one person would touch her like that. "How-" Hailey whispered, her heart hammering in her chest, mouth too dry to say anything more.

"I told you that I'd find you." Hailey forced herself to look up, heart seeming to skip a beat when she saw the face of Jacob Sanders, the reason she had fled L.A. with her tail between her legs. Until she actually saw his face, his shadowed eyes and greasy bangs, she had tried to let herself believe that it wasn't really him, that it was just some horrible nightmare or misunderstanding. But there was no mistaking the face she was staring into, the hate burning in his seemingly coal-black eyes as he gripped her arm even tighter.

Hailey tried to pull away but Jacob held onto her, his thick fingers pinching her flesh. "Let go of me." She commanded with as much force as she could, which wasn't much. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was feeling that familiar stomach churning fear that she felt every time Jacob was near her, developing a sickly sweet taste in her mouth. She tugged her arm again but Jacob jerked her closer to him, causing her hip to bump against the nearly empty shopping cart, knocking the cart into the pasta display.

"Come back to L.A. with me, Hailey." Jacob said, his voice low, his face close to hers, breath smelling of stale alcohol. "You belong there with me."

"Bullshit." Hailey hissed, tears pricking the corners of her eyes from the pain in her arm, which was slowly growing numb. "Let go of me. You're hurting me." But, then again, when had that ever stopped him?

Jacob didn't act as though she had even spoken; he pulled her closer to him. "Listen to me, you're coming back to L.A., whether you like it or not." He said, voice deadly low. "You think you can just leave like this, huh?" He jerked her roughly, and Hailey bit her tongue to keep from crying out.

Hailey looked away from Jacob, and saw that several people in the check-out lines were staring at them. She tried to pull away again. "Help me!" She cried, something she had never done before when Jacob was throwing his weight around. It felt good to let him know that she wasn't going to be his punching bag anymore.

Jacob grabbed a fist-full of hair and yanked, forcing Hailey to look back at him; as soon as her face was turned toward him again, he struck her with the back of his hand. Hailey's vision became blurry with tears as a little cry escaped her lips. Without another word, he released her, shoving her away from him and into the crooked shopping cart behind her; the cart skidded away from her and Hailey landed on the cold, tile ground, her head spinning.

Hailey took a deep breath, closing her eyes and forcing herself not to cry, that bastard would not make her cry again. When she finally opened her eyes again, she was surrounded by a gaggle of concerned shoppers, a several people who were just gawking at her, like they had never seen a woman hit before. _This is New Port, _she reminded herself, _they probably haven't._

"Are you all right?" A middle-aged woman was asking her, resting her hand on her knee, a comforting, motherly gesture that Hailey took no solace from.

Hailey nodded, though she was shaking too badly to make the gesture look convincing. "I'm fine." Her voice was shaking as well, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. Her face was sore, burning from Jacob's latest punch, and she hoped that she didn't cry; that would just make it worse.

The middle-aged woman and another man from the crowd helped Hailey to her feet and she tried to collect herself, to keep her body from shaking. Mumbling a word of thanks, she shrugged them off and headed for the door, abandoning her shopping cart and Kirsten's list, toward the payphone waiting outside.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jimmy was nearly to the hospital when his cell phone went off inside his pocket, startling him since he had become accustomed to the silence that surrounded his car. With one eye still on the road, he retrieved his cell from his pocket and flipped it open, nestling it between his ear and shoulder. "Hello?"

"Jimmy, it's Hailey." The voice on the other line was shaking, nervous and instantly got his attention. There was silence on the line as Hailey sniffed, waiting for him to speak first.

"Hailey, what's the matter?" Jimmy questioned, brow knitting with worry whether she could see him or not. "Are you all right? Where are you?" He felt his shoulders begin to tense as scenarios flashed through his head at lightning speed.

The silence hung for a moment before Hailey pulled herself together enough to answer. "I'm at the grocery store." She answered, her voice shaking just as badly as before. "Can you come and pick me up?" She didn't want Kirsten to see her like this, so suddenly after Jacob had showed up, because she still didn't want her sister to know the truth. To know that she was still too scared of him to do anything about what he did to her, that she still wasn't strong enough to defend herself.

"Of course." Jimmy answered without hesitation, checking his rearview mirrors before performing a U-turn and heading back the way he had come. "I'll be there in five minutes."

Hailey sniffed again, taking a deep breath. "Thanks." She said before hanging up and leaving Jimmy listening to a dial tone.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hailey was sitting outside on a bright, white painted bench beside the pay phone when Jimmy pulled his car into the nearest parking space he could find. She had her head bowed, staring down at the ground, wringing her hands, seeming to refuse to look up at him, even when he called her name. Hailey blinked away the few tears that remained in her eyes and lifted her head, forcing herself to smile slightly. "Hi Jimmy." She said, her voice low. "Thanks for coming."

It didn't take Jimmy long to see the tears in her eyes and the bruise forming on her right cheek and he knelt in front of her. "Hailey, what happened?" He questioned, gingerly touching her cheek. She turned her head away, letting several locks of hair fall across her cheek.

Hailey swallowed. "Remember that guy I told you about, the one I was staying with in L.A.?" Jimmy nodded, how could he forget? "Well, he found me; he showed up here and demanded I come back to L.A. with him."

Jimmy's brow knitted once again, this time with anger toward someone who was no longer around. "What?" He said, incredulously and Hailey kept her gaze downward. "That son of a bitch." He pursed his lips, pausing, before asking, "What did you say?"

Hailey sighed and looked up at him. "It doesn't matter." She told him and Jimmy realized she was right, it didn't matter what she said, there were more important things at stake. "He's going to make me go back with him, Jimmy." Her eyes grew wide as her heart started hammering in her chest at the thought. Either that or he was going to kill her, there was no doubt in her mind that those were her two alternatives.

"Like hell he will." Jimmy snapped and Hailey wished that she could have as much confidence as he did. But he didn't know Jacob like she did. "We'll just go to the police."

Hailey shook her head the instant the suggestion left his lips. "No." She said quickly and Jimmy looked at her with a confused expression in his eyes. Getting the police involved would just drag up her past, what she had been doing those few months in L.A., working as a striper to make money to feed her newly developed drug habit, letting Jacob's friend pimp for her whenever she needed money desperately. She didn't even want to think about those things and she sure as hell didn't want Jimmy and Kirsten to know about them. "No, we can handle this."

Jimmy studied her for a long moment, trying to read the emotions in her eyes and figure out what was going on in her head. It was obvious that Hailey was hurting, that she was suffering from some memory that wouldn't leave her alone. Something he couldn't do anything about. But she was trying, trying to move past it, to start over fresh and he wasn't going to force her to remain with her painful memories. "Fine." Jimmy said reluctantly, nodding slowly.

Hailey let out a heavy sigh, of relief Jimmy guessed, and smiled faintly at him. "Thanks Jimmy." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face against his chest, ignoring the throbbing in her cheek.

Jimmy kissed her on the cheek and sighed as well, quietly, his mind racing. He wasn't going to go to the police, he'd made that promise but that wasn't going to keep him from talking to Sandy. Because, he wasn't entirely sure they could handle Jacob themselves.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After leaving the grocery store, Jimmy suggested taking Hailey back to the Cohen house so that she could rest or compose herself before going by the hospital to visit Marissa. She agreed almost wordlessly, feeling suddenly so exhausted that she couldn't keep her eyes open, though she had no idea where the sudden bout had come from. During the drive home, she sat in the passenger seat in silence with her knees drawn up and her head resting on the window, eyes shut. Jimmy watched her out of the corner of his eye, seeing how her beauty was only marred by the forming bruise on her freckled cheek; he knew that if he ever got his hands on Jacob, he'd make sure that he knew what it felt like.

The Cohen SUV was in the driveway when Jimmy pulled in, something that surprised him since he was pretty sure that Kirsten had to go to work that morning. When he pulled the key out of the ignition, Hailey opened her eyes and yawned, looking over at Jimmy and smiling. "Thanks again." She said before he had the chance to get out of the car. "For everything."

Jimmy smiled and leaned over to kiss her, hoping that he would be seeing a lot more of her smile in the coming days. Things were going to get better, that was what he'd been telling himself ever since Marissa had been shot and that was what he told Hailey now when the kiss was broken.

"I hope so." Hailey said with a slight sigh in her voice. "I really hope so."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Hailey and Jimmy entered the Cohen house, they found Seth and Sandy in the living room attempting to create a large banner out of computer paper. Seth was frowning at his father, holding up a sheet with a large red _W _that clearly clashed with the sheet Sandy was holding, a smaller, blue _E_. Sandy looked away from his son and the sheets in their hands when Jimmy and Hailey shut the door and smiled slightly. "You're just in time, we could use all the help we can get."

Hailey cocked her head slightly, studying the papers. "Help with what?" She asked, trying to figure out just what the Cohen men were attempting to do with a box of crayons and several sheets of paper.

Seth turned to look at them. "Ryan just called a few minutes ago." He explained. "He said that the doctors said that Marissa could come home today."

Jimmy brightened instantly. "Really? That's great." A huge smile spread across his face at the thought of his daughter back in the house again. With Marissa home again, everything really would be back to normal. The hours he had spent in his apartment had been much too lonely; it would be good to have his daughter back.

"It was Kirsten's idea to throw her a welcome home party." Sandy added, gesturing toward the makeshift banner that wasn't looking too promising.

Hailey's eyes scanned the room for a moment. "Where is Kirsten?" She questioned, suddenly feeling nervous again. With the new bruise she had on her cheek, her sister was going to demand to know the whole truth behind her months in L.A. and she had remained silent long enough. Kirsten loved her and she had a right to know.

Sandy told her that Kirsten was in the kitchen, trying to find a caterer on such sort notice and Hailey disappeared into the kitchen without another word. Jimmy watched her go and Sandy watched him, trying to read just what he was feeling about his sister-in-law. Jimmy wasn't exactly smiling, his mind seemed stuck on something serious, but the way he felt about Hailey was undeniable anyway. He just hoped things worked out for once.

When Hailey entered the kitchen, Kirsten was thumbing through the phone book, chewing on the end of a pen as she read the list of numbers in front of her. "Kirsten," Hailey's voice was lower then she would have liked and she cleared her throat. "Can I talk to you?"

Kirsten looked up and was about to smile at her sister when she noticed the black and purple bruise forming on her cheek. "Hailey, what happened?" She abandoned her phone book and quickly went to her sister's side. "Are you all right?"

Hailey assured her that she was, taking a deep breath. "When I loved in L.A., I had to stay with this guy because I couldn't afford a place of my own." She began and Kirsten watched her silently. "He's the one that hit me."

Kirsten's brow knitted with concern and she took her sister's hand. "Honey, why didn't you do something? Go to the police? Or come here?" She questioned, feeling Hailey's words tug at her heart. She had known all along that someone had been hitting her sister but it still pained her to hear the words from Hailey, to see the tears well in her sister's eyes and the way her voice shook as she spoke.

"I couldn't go to the police." Hailey answered, looking down at the floor. "And I didn't even have money for bus fare." A tear slipped onto her bruised cheek and Kirsten brushed it away.

"I would have come to get you." Kirsten told her, forcing Hailey to look up at her again. "Why didn't you call? Why didn't you tell me?"

Hailey sighed. "He wouldn't have let me." She told her sister. "But I sent you that postcard." She reminded.

"Right, but that didn't say anything about what was happening." Kirsten pointed out. "If I had I would have been down there in a heartbeat."

Hailey studied her sister for a moment. "I told you I was a tennis instructor." She said and Kirsten nodded, waiting for her to continue. "Remember when we were kids, and I used to say that if I ever became a tennis instructor then I was in real trouble?" She smiled slightly at the memory.

Kirsten nodded slowly, remembering the conversation she and her sister had had during one afternoon after Hailey had made her quitting tennis lessons official by attempting to pelt the instructor with her racquet. That was what had bothered her so much about Hailey's poster card, why her mind had kept worrying over the fact that she had said she was a tennis instructor. "I remember now." She told Hailey. "I'm sorry I didn't then."

"It's all right, I didn't really expect you to anyway." Hailey assured her sister, squeezing her hand. "Hey, I got out didn't I?"

Kirsten smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, you did." She agreed. "Promise me, if you leave again, you won't hesitate to come here. You always have a place here."

Hailey promised and it felt good to hear those words. For the first time in her life, she really believed them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Ryan got off the phone with the Cohens, giving them the good news about Marissa, he headed down to the gift shop. In the back of his mind, he told himself that he was just going to buy Marissa more flowers to decorate the room she would soon be leaving but he knew that flowers weren't the entire reason he was making the trip. He wanted to see Teresa again, wanted to see that familiar, smiling face.

Luckily, Teresa was working behind the counter, scribbling something in a notebook as she tapped her fingers against the surface of the counter. "Hey Teresa." Ryan greeted when he entered the shop. "What's up?"

Teresa smiled at him, looking up from her notebook. "Just thinking of baby names." She told him, gesturing toward the notebook. "What do you think of the name Benjamin?"

"Definitely a keeper." Ryan smiled and stood in front of the counter. Teresa smiled as well, jotted something down in her notebook and then looked up again.

"How's Marissa?" She asked, hoping that the news was positive like it had been last night.

Ryan's smile grew even wider. "She's great; the doctor's are sending her home today." He told her, feeling even more relief every time he said those words. Marissa was going home, things were going to work out. "That's what I came to tell you, actually." Teresa looked at him with interest. "The Cohens are throwing a party for her and I thought it would be nice if you could come; that way you'd get to meet everyone and see Marissa again."

Teresa didn't look to certain. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Ryan." She told him.

Ryan frowned slightly. "Why not?" He wanted Teresa to give him one good reason.

"I'm not sure that I'd fit in." Teresa told him. "They're your friends."

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah but that doesn't mean they can't be your friends too." He pointed out. "You'd like them. Just please come; for a little while." He gave her his best puppy down look, the one he had practiced many times for the role of Snoopy in middle school.

Teresa smiled and rolled her eyes; she never could resist the Snoopy look. "If you're sure it's all right-" Ryan nodded. "I guess I can stop by for a little while."

Ryan smiled again. "Thanks." Teresa waved her hand dismissively. "It'll be fun, you'll see."


	19. Complicated

Chapter Nineteen

Complicated

Before he even came close to the Roberts house, Seth made sure that Ian Roberts' car was absent from the driveway. Once he was certain everything was clear, he took a deep breath and jogged across the road, stopping on the front stoop and knocking on the door. He waited several minutes, then knocked again, calling, "Summer, it's me. Cohen." He added that part on afterthought, though he was certain that Summer was expecting no one else.

Seth sighed as he waited, shifting his attention toward the sky, which was becoming cloudier by the second. It wasn't very often that a storm struck New Port but when they did come, they came with force.

Seth was about to knock on the door once more when it swung open, revealing Summer standing in the foyer, looking as though she hadn't slept in hours, her hair falling down her shoulders in thick tangles. She smiled slightly when she saw him standing there and nudged the door farther aside. "Hi Cohen." Summer greeted, motioning for him to come inside. "How are you?"

Seth entered, ignoring her question as he asked how _she _was. Summer sighed, frowning slightly as she thought about an answer to give him. "I've been better." She answered, truthfully.

"I might have some news to cheer you up." Seth said with a slight smile. "The doctors are letting Marissa come home from the hospital tonight." Summer's smile grew slightly wider. "We're having a sort of welcome home party for her at my house."

Summer looked as though she hadn't heard happier news in days and, in truth, she hadn't. "All right." She decided before Seth even asked the question. "What time?" She might even invite her father.

Seth smiled as well, his spirits lifted by her enthusiasm, something he hadn't seen from her since Oliver had killed himself. It was like having the old Summer back; with Marissa coming home and Summer seeming less animatronic, he realized that things really were on their way to being normal again. He told her when she should be at his house, but then offered to pick her up after her therapy session. "Who knows, maybe this'll be your last session."

Summer's smile disappeared slightly even as she forced herself to nod, trying to put on a good show. As badly as she wanted to, she just couldn't believe that the imagines in her head would go away after a few more hours. It seemed impossible that they would ever leave her. "Yeah." She muttered weakly. "Maybe I'll be all better."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since Seth had left moments ago to go to Summer's house, something that Sandy had suggested since it was even more evident that she needed as much company as she could get, Jimmy was stuck with helping Sandy decorate the living room. He and Sandy were standing side by side, trying to figure out if the homemade banner was straight.

Jimmy turned to look at Sandy and sighed, causing the other man to look over in his direction. "Can I ask you something?" He questioned and Sandy nodded, looking at Jimmy with a raised eyebrow. "In L.A., Hailey lived with this guy that hit her and he's here, now. He says he's going to force Hailey to come back to L.A. with him."

Sandy sighed, the pieces of Hailey's mysterious life in L.A. coming into place, aside from the reason that she kept what had happened a secret from Kirsten and himself. But he was a lawyer, and he knew that people sometimes kept quiet because they didn't know what else to do. "Did she go to the police?"

Jimmy shook his head. "She wouldn't, I tried to get here to go." He sighed. "Today, after he showed up at the grocery store and hit her again." Suddenly, the whole matter seemed much more complicated.

"Well, if you can't get her to go to the police, there's not a whole lot anyone can do." Sandy said, deciding the banner was straight enough. "If Hailey goes to the police, she could get a restraining order, all sorts of things to keep him away from her."

Jimmy nodded, his eyes shifting away from the welcome banner and down to the threshold of the kitchen, where Kirsten and Hailey were standing, with empty glass bowls. Hailey was glaring at him and Kirsten looked largely uninterested, her gaze flicking from her husband to her old friend.

Hailey handed Kirsten her bowl. "Jimmy," she started, taking a step toward him. "You swore you wouldn't tell anyone."

Jimmy wasn't quite sure how to respond or justify telling Sandy what he had and Hailey used his silence to turn and head back into the kitchen, opening the doors that led to the patio and slamming them shut behind her. With a sigh, feeling genuinely guilty for speaking to Sandy about something really only partially concerned him, Jimmy stepped away from Sandy and stepped past Kirsten, heading toward the patio where Hailey had disappeared.

Hailey was sitting in one of the lawn chairs, her gaze settled on the rippling waters of the infinity pool, reflecting by the cloudy sky above. "Hailey," she didn't look away, didn't even make the move to acknowledge that he had spoken. "I shouldn't have spoken to Sandy without asking you first, but I felt like we could have used his opinion."

"We?" Hailey repeated, her gaze still settled on the still waters of the pool. "Last time I checked, _we _weren't being beaten and stalked by our ex-boyfriend."

Jimmy sighed, feeling like he deserved her anger, whether it be completely misplaced or not. "You're right, but I'm just trying to help you Hailey. I don't want to see that asshole hurt you anymore." Hailey turned back to look at him, her amber eyes settling on him, as though trying to read the truth in his words. "I guess I just don't understand why you won't go to the police."

Hailey sighed, her gaze dropping to the ground. "Because going to the police would only give Jacob the chance to point a finger at me, too." She muttered and Jimmy stepped closer to her, kneeling beside her like he had done earlier. Her gaze met his again. "I wasn't living the life in L.A., Jimmy; I did a lot of things that I never want to think about again. And Jacob knows all of those things."

Jimmy took her hand and squeezed gently, sympathetically and offered her a slight smile. "I understand." He said, even though he wasn't certain that he did. A part of Hailey would always remain hidden to him, known by one of the men he was beginning to despise, and that bothered him more then he would have liked. Maybe one day, she'd tell him just what type of hell she had been living through but for now, she didn't trust him enough, didn't believe he could still love her if he knew. Jimmy wished he could make her see different, make her understand that there was nothing he could find out about her that would make him love her any less then he did but now wasn't the time for that. "We can take care of this."

Hailey smiled faintly and squeezed his hand as well, leaning over and kissing him lightly on the cheek. It still worried her how much Jimmy seemed to be falling in love with her and how she felt the same way; how could he like someone like her? Someone completely opposite of everything in New Port, someone who most days couldn't even like herself? But the smile remained on her lips as she forced those thoughts to leave her head. "Come on," Hailey stood, still holding onto Jimmy's hand. "I think we have your daughter's party to plan."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night had fallen in New Port, though it was difficult to tell night from afternoon with the heavy cloud cover blocking the sun from view. Nevertheless, it was dark by the time Julie and Marissa arrived from the hospital with Ryan and Teresa in tow. When Marissa had first learned that Teresa had been invited and intended on coming, she wasn't exactly quite sure which emotions were mixing in her head. Did the fact that Ryan invited her mean that there was something going on between them, that they could possibly be more then just friends?

Ryan seemed to sense Marissa's unease about Teresa's arrival and took her aside, marveling at how she had improved in a few short hours, managing to walk alone, though very slowly. "Are you all right?" He'd asked. "About Teresa coming?"

Marissa considered giving him the truth, telling him that she didn't want Teresa coming to her party because she didn't want Teresa anywhere near him to give him any ideas but she forced herself to sigh instead. She even resisted asking him why he had invited her, if there was something going on that she didn't know about. "It's fine." Marissa had muttered, taking another heavy breath.

Ryan didn't look so certain but didn't want to press it anymore; he might get the answer that he didn't want to hear, the one he knew he should be expecting. Instead, he'd just smiled and given Marissa a quick kiss before heading back to where Julie and Teresa were standing, occasionally staring at each other in uncomfortable silence but mostly staring down at their feet. Julie seemed revealed when her daughter returned.

And now here they were, at the Cohen household, with Marissa attempting to be a cordial to Teresa as possible and Teresa trying to be so friendly and both girls knew they were trying much too hard.

The front door swung open before they had even reached the stoop and Jimmy came out of the house, heading toward Marissa and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into a fatherly bear-hug. Marissa couldn't help but smile, wrapping her arms around him as well, feeling completely at ease for a moment. "Look at you," Jimmy said with a smile when they finally parted. "I'm so proud of you, baby." He hugged her again.

Marissa smiled, trying to look as though she was embarrassed by all of her father's attention when really it made her feel like nothing had ever been wrong in the first place. "The doctor says that I still have to go back for physical therapy." She explained. "But he's impressed with how well I've recovered."

Jimmy smiled, looking his daughter over as though checking for signs that she had even been frightened or in pain. He seemed satisfied that there were none, even though he knew differently. But that didn't matter now, because Marissa was walking and smiling, eager to put everything behind her and continue with the life she was entitled to. It seemed that, while all the bad things happened at once, the good things did too.

Jimmy and Marissa led the way into the house with the others finally behind, Teresa looking like she knew that she shouldn't be at what should be a private family party. Ryan offered her a reassuring smile as they entered the house. Seth looked up from where he had been sitting on the couch, looking more worried then he normally did, his eyes settling on Ryan and Teresa. When Ryan looked over at him, he raised an eyebrow and Ryan waved his hand dismissively, as if to say 'it's not like that.' Seth didn't seem so sure but he kept silence, standing and heading over toward them.

After everyone had told Marissa how happy they were to see her walking again and, in turn, how proud of her, Ryan introduced Teresa to everyone, much with the same reactions Seth had shown. Kirsten had smiled politely and offered Teresa something to drink before leading her into the kitchen and asking why she was in New Port and an assortment of questions that Teresa answered politely.

Seth nudged Ryan in the ribs and smiled slyly at him. "So, bringing the ex over for dinner?" He questioned.

"She's not my ex." Ryan clarified. "Teresa was my best friend in Chino."

Seth nodded, the sly smile still upon his face as he raised his eyebrows. "That's right; I forgot just how friendly Ryan Atwood was."

Ryan let out a deep sigh. "It's not like that, man." He muttered, looking over at Marissa who was smiling at something Sandy was saying. "I just thought it would be the nice thing to do."

"Right." Seth muttered. "Does Marissa understand this gesture of kindness?"

Ryan looked at him, slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Seth began. "Does Marissa know that you're just friends, or does she think you're 'special friends.'?" The smile returned slightly.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "What? Who talks like that?" He questioned and Seth just shrugged his shoulder. "Marissa knows we're just friends." He paused, his eyes scanning the room. "Speaking of special friends, where's Summer?"

Seth sighed, the smile disappearing from his face. "That's what I'd like to know." He muttered. "I called her house to tell her I was on the way but no one answered." He looked at Ryan. "There might be something wrong."

"Why don't you just go over there?" Ryan questioned. Usually Seth didn't need an invitation to drop by Summer's house and he told him so.

Seth didn't answer, letting out another long sigh through his teeth and staring down at the ground. He seemed to be thinking heavily on something, which Ryan rarely often saw him do and when he finally looked up again, he seemed resolved. "I'm going to go over there, make sure she's all right."

Ryan nodded and clapped him on the shoulder and the two parted ways, with Seth heading for the door, subtly snatching the keys to the SUV off the coffee table, and Ryan going off to find Marissa, while keeping an eye on Teresa.

Though he had gone to Summer's house many times before, the drive this time seemed to take longer to Seth and he knew it was just because he was worried about her. He knew that he shouldn't be worried, that Summer was improving, smiling more everyday and she would never do anything to hurt herself or give him cause to worry but he was nervous nonetheless.

The pale orange glow of the streetlights revealed the Roberts house before he pulled into the driving, showing that Ian still hadn't returned from whatever had kept him away all afternoon. Seth pulled the SUV into the driveway, pulling the keys out and unbuckling at the same time, tangling himself in his safety belt as he tried to stumble out of the car. It was only when Seth forced himself to slow down and push his worries for Summer aside that he was able to untangle himself and make it to the front stoop.

When Seth knocked on the door, he wasn't surprised when no one answered right away; he could practically see Summer standing in her room, trying to decide if it was worth the trip downstairs to see who was knocking. Undeterred, he knocked once again, stepping back and listening for her soft footsteps coming down the carpeted stairs and toward the door.

What Seth heard instead was the sound of glass shattering from somewhere upstairs in the house, faint but nonetheless obvious and he felt his heart skip a beat. What if Summer wasn't all right after all? What if there was something wrong? He knocked on the door again, simultaneously trying the brass doorknob, not stopping to think about why it was unlocked when the door swung open.

Seth headed upstairs, going automatically toward Summer's room where he was certain the noise had come from, calling her name as he hurried. Most of the lights in the house where on and he flicked on as many as he could as he headed up the stairs and down the hallway.

Summer's bedroom door was ajar, with only a single lamp on in the room and Seth pushed open the door to find Summer standing in the middle of her room with her face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking with every sob that escaped her lips, looking utterly helpless and defeated. Seth remained in the foyer for a moment, studying her and taking in the scene, trying to figure out just what he was seeing; there was a shattered picture frame against the wall directly across from Summer, which accounted for the noise he'd heard and Summer didn't look hurt in anyway. Just upset.

"Summer?" Seth said, taking a step toward her, keeping his voice low and even when all he wanted to do was throw his arms around her and ask her what was wrong, why was she falling apart again? Summer didn't look up, didn't acknowledge that he had spoken or entered her room. "Summer, what's the matter? Are you all right?" It seemed as though he was asking that question a lot lately.

Seth gently rested his hand on her shoulder and Summer flinched for a moment before relaxing and turning to face him. Slipping his arm around her waste, he managed to get her to sit down on her bed, though she was still crying softly, her hands laying useless in her lap.

"Summer, what's the matter? Is everything all right?" Seth questioned again, hoping for an answer this time. He didn't know what to do, what to expect or what to think; he just wished he understood what she was seeing, what made her act this way. Would he ever know?

Summer took a deep breath, hiccupping softly as she attempted to get herself under control, to calm her breathing and stop her crying. It took more effort then Seth would ever know and she finally managed to look at him again, her deep eyes round and shining with tears. "Today," she swallowed, forcing the words out. "That doctor made me talk about things that happened when I was younger." Another deep breath followed.

Seth looked at her with a look of confusion on his face. "I don't understand." He said, making sure to choose his words carefully so that Summer didn't jump to any conclusions. Summer stared at him in silence. "I don't understand why you're so upset." It took a lot of energy to speak that way, when all he wanted to do was grab her shoulders and shake her until whatever was haunting her had fallen out and vanished.

For a while, Summer was silent, staring down at the floor and occasionally her walls and Seth thought that he had said the wrong thing. He was about to rephrase his question when she pulled another deep breath into her lungs and let it out slowly. "When I was eight-years-old, my mom and I were home alone because my father was out on some business trip," she was surprised at how easily the words were slipping from her lips now. "She had just finished tucking me into bed when we heard a noise from downstairs, a window breaking, something like that.

"My mom went downstairs to see what it was and I followed because I didn't want to be left alone." Summer swallowed. "It some man, and he was going to rob us or something but he wasn't planning on my mom and I being at the house. My mom told him he'd better get the hell out of the house and I could tell that she was so scared, she was shaking but she sounded so tough.

"The man didn't move, I think he was scared too, and then my mom moved to get the phone, to call the police and he shot her." Seth's eyes went wide at her words. "I don't remember a lot after that, just a lot of blood and a lot of crying. I didn't know what to do, I just stood there and stared; I should have been able to help her...I should have done something."

Summer closed her eyes, tears squeezing onto her cheeks and she clasped her hands together tightly, though that did nothing to keep them from shaking. That night had been almost nine years ago, but it still seemed so fresh in her mind, like a movie constantly playing every time she shut her eyes and often when she didn't. She took another deep breath, her eyes remaining closed, seeing the horrible scene unfolding for the hundredth time. "Finally, my mom managed to get me to call an ambulance, but it was all ready too late by then. She was dead by the time she got to the hospital, all because I couldn't do anything but stare at her." Summer opened her eyes and looked at Seth, tears running down her cheeks. "I couldn't help my own mother."

For a moment, Seth didn't even know what to so, couldn't even begin to think of the right words; everything he had imagined about what was bothering Summer didn't even come close to what the truth was. No wonder she had lost it when Oliver shot himself, it reminded her of her mother, stirring up the memories she had obliviously worked so hard to shelf away in the right place. "Summer, you can't blame yourself for what happened to your mother." He said, hoping his voice had the desired, soothing effect, and he took her hands, holding them tightly. "It wasn't your fault."

"That's not true." Summer said, her voice little above a whisper. "If I had called an ambulance sooner, done something to help her, then maybe she wouldn't have died." More tears rolled down her cheeks. "It is my fault."

Seth shook his head venomously. "Bullshit." He snapped but Summer showed no reaction. "You can't blame yourself for that, Summer; shit happens, and I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for you to lose your mother and what it's like for you now, but there's nothing you could have done."

Summer pulled away from him, standing but remaining where she was, as though she was unsure of what to do now. Seth stood as well, unwilling to let her destroy herself all over again for something out of her control. "It wasn't your fault, you can't keep thinking that it was." He told her, looking into her eyes.

Summer looked away from him; the things that Seth was saying to her now where things that she had heard all of her life, from her father, from various other people that attempted to set her right again, but never from herself. "You don't know." She whispered, voice almost too low for Seth to hear. "You weren't there."

Seth moved toward, gently resting her fingers against the curve of her cheek. "Listen to me-"

Summer pulled away. "No!" She shouted with venom, unwilling to hear anymore. Seth didn't understand, she shouldn't have expected him to be able to; no one understood and that was why she couldn't fight back the images in her head anymore. She didn't even want to anymore. "Go away." She whispered before turning away from him and rushing into the adjoining bathroom, slamming the door so hard behind her that several other pictures rattled on the wall.

Seth took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, unable to organize the thoughts swarming through his head; now wasn't the time to worry about what _he _was thinking. Now he had to worry about Summer, had to help her in some way, though he wasn't sure how. Seth knocked lightly on the bathroom door; Summer didn't bother to answer and all he could hear was the soft sound of her crying into her hands again.

With a sigh, Seth sat down on the floor, leaning against the door. Whether she wanted him to or not, he wasn't about to leave her now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marissa was watching Ryan out of the corner of her eye as she stood with her father and Hailey, the fact that he was closely watching Teresa not escaping her attention. He had barely talked to her all night, giving most of his attention to Teresa, constantly asking if _she _was all right, if _she _needed anything as though she was the one that had just regained the ability to walk.

Teresa sighed under her breath as she stirred the slowly melting ice in her drink, listening to it clink against the sides. This party was a bad idea, she had known that since the moment she'd walked in the door; out of the corner of her eye she could see Marissa starting at her and acting like she wasn't and Ryan was constantly favoring her over the girl he should be with.

Kirsten, a nice woman, Teresa thought, stepped up to Ryan and asked him if he had seen Seth (who was a little strange in her opinion) and she saw her chance. Setting her drink aside, she slipped into the kitchen and out onto the patio, silently closing the door behind her and taking a deep breath. The temperature outside was comfortable, though humid because of the approaching storm, and she stood for a moment, enjoying the night air; even the weather in New Port was perfect.

Teresa's eyes scanned the Cohen's spacious backyard, passing over the pool house where Ryan stayed and the infinity pool stretching out beyond it, settling instead on a half-rusted swing set that looked like it hadn't been used in ages. With a slight smile on her face, she headed over to the set, gently easing herself onto one of the yellow plastic sheets, letting her toes drag on the ground; when she had been younger, she'd used the swing sets in the park as her private place, the place she could go and think and not worry about someone bothering her about her thoughts.

And there were a lot of thoughts going through her head now, mostly about Ryan; it seemed different, seeing him like this after he'd left Chino without even a goodbye. And when she looked at him recently, it was hard to see him as the dorky boy she'd played Capture the Flag with and made mud-pies with in the sandbox. Though, a part of her knew that she had always looked at Ryan how she was looking at him now, that she had always known that she was in love with Ryan Atwood.

_You're married, remember? _The reasonable Teresa reminded her. _And pregnant. _She touched her round stomach fleetingly; how could she forget such a thing?

But none of those thoughts seemed to register at that moment. All she could think about was Ryan and how she wished he had never left Chino, wished that maybe, just maybe, it was he that she was married to.

Teresa was still thinking these thoughts when the swing-set groaned and she saw that Ryan had sat down on the swing beside hers. He offered her a slight smile. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Teresa answered with a sigh. "I just seem a little out place, that's it." She admitted, looking back at the Cohen house. "Never in a million years could I ever live in a place like that."

Ryan followed her gaze. "That's what I used to think." He said, looking back at her, trying to read the thoughts beneath her hazel eyes. "Are you happy?" Teresa looked at him, caught off-guard. "With Eddie, I mean?"

Teresa nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, I really am. I've always wanted to start a family and Eddie loves me." She sighed. "I just never thought it would be so soon, I guess."

Ryan nodded, knowing exactly where she was coming from; at one point in his life, he had thought he was going to live forever, that he was never going to get old, never going to run out of time. After he had realized that wasn't reality, he had still thought he'd have plenty of time to be a kid, to grow up and do stuff before meeting the right girl and settling down to have a family. He'd never thought that it would happened for Teresa when she was only eighteen.

Teresa looked at him with a slight smile. "I wish we were kids again." She admitted, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to cry.

Ryan sighed and nodded; things hadn't been exactly simple when he was a kid, but they had been less complicated then they were now. Silence settled over them for a moment until it was finally broken when he asked, "Remember when we were kids and we used to have those 'competitions' on the swings where we'd jump off and see who landed the farthest?" He didn't know where the question had come from, but as soon as he asked, Teresa nodded.

"You always lost because Trey would act like he was going to push you off right before you jumped and it freaked you out." Teresa added, smiling at the thought. "I remember," her smile grew wider, "when Trey tried to do it one time and landed against a tree trunk. He broke his nose and my mom freaked out and wouldn't let us do that anymore."

Ryan nodded, remembering. "That was probably very wise of her. We'd probably all be dead or injured in some way if not for that." They were lost in their memories for a moment, remembering hot afternoons in Chino when nothing mattered other then who could jump the farthest. Ryan turned to look at Teresa again with a slightly mischievous smile on his face. "You want to play now?" He asked.

Teresa couldn't tell if he was serious and when she decided that he was, she said, "Ryan, I'm pregnant." The message didn't seem to sink in. "I shouldn't be jumping off swings."

Ryan grinned wirily at her and started swinging, pumping his legs back and forth to gain height. "You're just saying that because you're scared you'll lose now." The grin reminded and Teresa rolled her eyes.

"You haven't changed, Ryan Atwood." She muttered.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marissa had noticed that Ryan had vanished the second he slipped out of the kitchen but she couldn't go after him to see where he had gone because Jimmy was forcing her to listen to some story he'd read in the newspaper the other day. Her dad was trying to so hard to act like nothing had happened that it was painfully obvious but she loved him for his efforts anyway. She wished she could pretend like nothing had happened.

As she listened to her father's story, Marissa kept her eyes focused on the kitchen, where Ryan had disappeared. As soon as she could, she was going to find out where he had gone off to.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan had managed to convince Teresa that there was no harm in jumping a short distance off the swings just once and they had managed to gain a great deal of height before Ryan decided it was time to let go. Teresa squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she was absolutely crazy for doing what she was, and forced her hands to let go of the swing.

For a moment, she felt just like a kid again, eyes shut tightly, hoping to outdo the person that had jumped before her and everything was perfect. That was, until Teresa collided with Ryan who had decided to jump the same second she had, sending them both crashing to the ground in a heap.

Ryan groaned as he rolled over onto his back, a smile on his face despite the back that he felt like he had chipped at least one tooth. "Now, if we had been in the movies, that would have ended romantically." He muttered to no one, sitting up slowly. "I think I swallowed a tooth."

Teresa sat up as well, touching the tender spot on her head where she had knocked in Ryan. "Ow." She muttered. "That was definitely not a good idea."

Ryan looked at her with concern. "Are you all right?" He scooted a little closer to her so that he could see her in the dark light. Maybe he shouldn't have suggested jumping off the swings, because she could have seriously injured herself or the baby.

Teresa looked up at him, startled at how close they were and their eyes met. "I'm fine." She assured him, suddenly feeling tense, but a good sort of tense. It was the way she had felt right before she had gotten her first kiss.

Their eyes remained locked for another moment and before Ryan knew what had happened, he had closed the distance between himself and Teresa and his lips met hers. Teresa didn't seem surprised by his actions, closing her eyes and returning the kiss, not thinking for a moment about Eddie or Marissa or anything other then Ryan and what was happened at that moment.

When the kiss was finally broken, Ryan found himself smiling, eyes settling on Teresa once more. Teresa was smiling as well, but her eyes were drifting toward something behind his shoulder and the smile was slowly fading. Feeling a sudden sense of dread, Ryan slowly turned around to see what had captured her attention. A part of him wasn't at all surprised to see Marissa standing on the patio, staring at them with hurt evident on her face even from where he was sitting.

Ryan got to his feet quickly, torn for a moment between Teresa and Marissa, the girl that he loved beyond the shadow of doubt. But how was he supposed to believe that, how was _she _supposed to believe it, when he was kissing another girl? "Marissa..." He started toward her but Marissa turned away, clearly trying to make a getaway but finding herself unable to make a quick one.

And because of that, Ryan was able to catch up with her easily; he grabbed her arm and forced her to turn and look at him. "Marissa, let me explain-" He didn't know what to say past that, didn't think he could explain what had happened.

Marissa jerked her arm free and glared at him. "Explain what?" She challenged, daring him to come up with an answer.

Ryan knew remaining silent was the wrong choice but he was unable to do anything else. Marissa's eyes filled with tears and she turned away from him, ignoring him when he called her name. "Leave me alone!" She snapped, voice thick with tears, as she hurried off into the darkness.

Ryan watched her until she had been swallowed by the darkness surrounding the Cohen house and then stood for a long while, staring at the place where she had disappeared, trying to figure out how things had gotten so complicated again.


	20. Like It Takes

Chapter Twenty

Like It Takes

Caleb showed up at the Cohen household shortly before Marissa made her discovery from the patio behind the house. As soon as he entered, the door shutting almost silently behind him, Julie's head turned in his direction, a large smile stretching across her face and she headed toward him, abandoning her conversation with Kirsten. "Caleb, I didn't know you were coming." She trilled happily, giving him a not so secretive kiss on the cheek.

"I thought I'd come see how Marissa was doing." Caleb told her, shrugging off his coat and handing it Sandy, who happened to be standing close by. "And of course, I wanted to see you, Juju." Sandy rolled his eyes, disgusted.

Julie smiled and allowed him to slip his arm around her waist as they headed toward Kirsten and the others. Sandy tossed Caleb's jacket over the couch and followed after them. "Hello Kiki, Hailey." Caleb greeted, giving both of his daughter's quick pecks on the cheek. He shook hands with Jimmy as well. "I've been meaning to speak to the two of you." His eyes had settled on Jimmy and Julie.

Jimmy's interest peeked in spite of himself; it was unusual that Caleb would want to talk to him outside of making casual conversation and he couldn't help but be interested. Julie looked at her ex-husband for a brief moment before giving Caleb her complete attention; she thought that she knew what he wanted to talk about but kept her mouth shut and her speculations to herself.

"I've decided that I will help pay Marissa's hospital bills." Caleb explained and Jimmy was hit with a surge of emotions. The two most prominent were relief and anger; a part of him wanted to tell Caleb that he could handle it himself, that Marissa was his daughter and he didn't need any help paying for her bills. But he knew that wasn't true, that he couldn't even imagine paying for the staggering bills that he was going to be receiving at anytime.

So, instead, Jimmy extended his hand to Caleb. "We can work out some sort of payment program." He suggested, attempting to hold onto a little bit of his dignity. "I fully intend on paying you back." Caleb waved his hand dismissively before shaking hands with Jimmy, completing the deal.

Julie smiled and looped her arm around Caleb's elbow, leaning close against him. Hailey glared at her and rolled her eyes but Julie didn't act as though she noticed, completing the show but kissing Caleb lightly on the cheek. "Thank you so much, Cal." She said, her smile growing wider. "I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

Caleb assured her that it was nothing and Hailey had a feeling that he was about to assure her of something more then the door to the patio opened and Ryan came hurrying into the living room, with Teresa coming in slowly behind. "Marissa's gone." He said even before everyone had turned to look at him.

Jimmy looked at him with surprise on his face. "Gone?" He repeated. "What do you mean?" Marissa couldn't be gone, he'd just seen her moments before going out to the patio, which was where Ryan had been if he wasn't mistaken.

Ryan sighed. "We got into a fight and she rushed off." He explained. "And now I can't find her."

"Well, she can't have gone far." Julie remarked before she could think better of it. "She can barely walk." Jimmy shot her a look and she fell silent. "I'm sure she's around here somewhere."

Ryan looked at Julie for a moment before shifting his attention toward Jimmy and the Cohens, who he figured would be more susceptible to really listen to what he was saying. "She was in a hurry to get as far away from me as she could." He told them.

"She's got to be around." Jimmy said. "But it wouldn't hurt to look." There was no way that he was going to let his daughter be unaccounted for not twenty-four hours after she had just undergone surgery.

Caleb and Julie decided to remain at the house, just in case Marissa showed up here before they could find her elsewhere and everyone had to resist the urge to say something about their decision. As Jimmy and Sandy decided to search the streets heading toward Jimmy's, Ryan noticed that Teresa was gathering her coat and heading for the door. "Where are you going?" He questioned when he got to her.

"I'm going home, Ryan." Teresa told him. "I think me being here any longer is just going to cause more trouble then it already has." She sighed. "I'm sorry about what happened, I really am and when you find Marissa, please tell her that." Teresa headed out the front door, shutting it silently behind her and leaving Ryan staring after her for a moment.

Ryan quickly headed back toward the patio; finding Marissa was more important at this time then anything else.

Hailey decided to go next door, to Julie's, since it made more sense to her that Marissa would have gone to the house she once lived in instead of walking all the way to Jimmy's apartment. She could tell that walking or standing for long periods of time tired the girl out and she doubted she could make it to Jimmy's.

Julie's house was dark aside from a single porch light shining onto the high-rise wooden deck that provided a spacious view of the ocean beyond and Hailey had to squint her eyes to even attempt to peer through the darkness. She was about to turn around and head back to the Cohen house when she heard quiet, clearly muffled, crying coming from somewhere around the deck.

"Marissa?" Hailey questioned, stepping closer toward the deck, which towered above her, creating one large shadow that made it nearly impossible to see anything. "Marissa, it's Hailey."

The crying stopped. "Go away." Marissa muttered from the darkness that enclosed her. "I want to be left alone."

Hailey remained where she was. "Are you okay?" She asked. "What happened? Ryan said you got into a fight and then took off."

Marissa scoffed from the darkness. "Did he tell you why we got into a fight?" Hailey told her that he hadn't but Marissa remained silent, as though she wasn't too inclined to tell her either.

"Your dad's really worried about you." Hailey said, her eyes finally adjusted enough to the darkness beneath the deck for her to vaguely see Marissa in the shadows. The girl was sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees, looking as though she was trying to make herself as small as possible. "You should come out and let him know you're all right."

Marissa was silent for a moment. "You can just tell him I'm all right." She said finally. "I want to be alone right now."

Hailey stepped into the darkness beneath the deck, hoping that there weren't any spiders or other creepy-crawlies under her to drop onto her shoulders or get tangled in her hair. She shuddered at the thought. "I think there are better places to be alone then under here." She muttered, stopping when she saw that she was close to Marissa. She dropped down next to the girl, pleased to see that she wasn't sitting in the dirt but on soft grass. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Marissa took a deep breath, looking away from Hailey and out toward the sweeping, sloping backyard that had once been hers. "I thought that Ryan loved me." She mumbled. "But I saw him kissing Teresa."

Hailey sighed, knowing exactly what Marissa was going through; her first boyfriend had cheated on her in the ninth grade and a part of her still hadn't gotten over it. It was the part of her that constantly wondered what about the other girl was better then her? Why had he chosen someone else? "Maybe it wasn't what it looked like." She suggested. "They have been friends for a long time, maybe it was just a friendly kiss." Even to her, the words sounded hollow and pointless.

Marissa shook her head. "Trust me, it was no friendly kiss." She told Hailey with a heavy sigh. "I just don't understand."

Hailey looked over at Marissa, who was staring straight ahead, her face hidden by the darkness around her. "Sometimes these things happen and it sucks; life's shit sometimes, take it from me." That was an understatement. "I know that's not what you want to here, but it's true."

Marissa looked over at her, unable to think of anything to say and Hailey took that as a sign to go on. "Bad things happen but sometimes they aren't as bad as they seem."

"You think I'm over-reacting?" Marissa questioned and Hailey shook her head. "Believe me, I know plenty about bad things happening; I was shot remember." She sighed, her voice losing its edge. "I just thought that maybe I was entitled to something good happening for once."

Hailey rested a comforting hand on Marissa's shoulder. "I know what you mean but a lot of the time you get more bad then good. Life's not fair, it doesn't always give like it takes."

Marissa sighed again, looking over at Hailey. "You're sure good at uplifting pep talks." She muttered sarcastically.

Hailey shrugged her shoulders. "That's the way life is. Take it from me." There was a beat of silence. "But if you my advice: talk to Ryan, maybe there's an explanation for what happened."

Marissa scoffed. "What explanation?" She questioned, staring down at the ground. The only explanation she could think of was that Ryan was bored with her, that he didn't really love her after all.

"I don't know." Hailey answered. "But you won't know either until you talk to him." She stood then, extending her hand to help Marissa to her feet as well. "Come on, let's get back to the house."

Marissa seemed to consider for a moment before taking Hailey's hand and slowly getting to her feet. Her back was aching slightly, unaccustomed to the sudden surgery and strain that she had recently been putting on her legs. But she could feel her body beginning to adjust again, to slowly switch back to normal, as though it was remembering just what it was supposed to be doing.

Hailey and Marissa left the deck and headed back to the Cohen house, where Marissa made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with Ryan. Jimmy and Sandy returned shortly and, with few goodbyes, father and daughter headed back to their apartment, leaving Ryan completely at a loss of what to do next.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seth didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until he felt someone roughly nudging his leg, which was suddenly alive with pricks and tingles; he slowly opened his eyes to see who was prodding. He nearly jumped in surprise to see Summer's father glaring down at him with his arms crossed over his chest and a not too pleased expression upon his face.

"Hello sir." Seth said, quickly getting to his feet, doing his best to ignore his leg, which was asleep and therefore, not ready to support his weight. "How are you doing, sir?"

Ian continued to glare at him. "What are you doing in my house?" He questioned, his voice low and level. "Where's my daughter?"

Seth gestured toward the closed bathroom door. "She's in there." He explained. He studied Ian carefully, trying to gauge his reaction and then cleared his throat. "She told me about her mother, about what happened." Ian looked surprised. "Why didn't she tell me?" Seth knew that asking Ian wasn't exactly the right person to ask but he couldn't help himself.

"You can't understand what it was like for her." Ian accused. "She worked so hard to put it behind her and to move on with her life. And then something like _this _happens." He trailed off, as though 'this' was something substantial that he could see, that he could punish or hurt for what happened to his daughter.

Seth was silent, he didn't know what to say. "Well, maybe talking about it would have helped." He suggested, deciding not to say anything more when Ian glared at him.

"I don't have to listen to what you have to say, young man." Ian said, voice still controlled and level. "You can't tell me how I should have raised my daughter." Seth remained silent, trying not to buckle beneath the man's stare. "Now get out of my house."

Seth looked back at the bathroom door, but it remained closed and if Summer was awake inside, she wasn't going to come to his aid. Without another word, he pushed past Ian and headed out of Summer's bedroom and down the stairs. The house was silent as he reached the lower level, he couldn't hear any sounds of a father trying to comfort or speak to his daughter and he suddenly wasn't at all surprised. Though it seemed like Ian loved Summer, he also seemed like he didn't understand her or how to handle her and a situation like this was past his comprehension at the moment.

With a sigh, Seth stepped out of the house and headed down the driveway toward the SUV he'd left parked there, surprised to see that the sun looked like it was beginning to rise in the horizon. He could already tell the day was going to be overcast, the sun already hidden behind a blanket of gray clouds and he was surprised that he'd spent nearly the entire night asleep against Summer's bathroom door.

Seth got into the driver's seat of the SUV, casting another glance toward the Roberts house but there was no sign of Summer. So Ian didn't want him around right now but the day was still young.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Ryan woke the next morning, the first thing he thought of was Marissa. After spending many nights in the hospital, it was strange to suddenly wake up in his own bedroom but he didn't allow himself too long to dwell upon that fact. His mind was too busy reminding him of the events of the previous night, reminding him about the hurt look on Marissa's face when she had seen him kissing Teresa. Now, Ryan wasn't even sure why he had done such a thing and wished it had never happened; he couldn't bare the thought of Marissa being hurt because of something he had done. One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to leave things they way they were.

Yawning, Ryan climbed out of bed and quickly changed out of his wrinkled clothes and into a fresh outfit, forgoing the shower for the moment. It was already late in the morning and he didn't want to waste any more time getting in touch with Marissa.

In the kitchen of the Cohen house, Ryan found Kirsten and Hailey sitting at the dinner table, with the eldest sister talking into her cell phone as she hurriedly jotted notes into a notebook in front of her. Hailey watched with half-interest, as though she had seen this side of her sister before and found it too boring to entertain.

Hailey looked up when Ryan entered the kitchen, the patio door closing silently behind him. "So, how does it feel the morning after?" She questioned and Ryan looked at her with a confused look on his face. "After a big fight." She clarified.

"Like hell." Ryan answered with a sigh, pulling a coffee mug out of the cabinet and filling it almost to brim with steaming coffee. "I've got to talk to her, try and straighten things out."

Hailey nodded; that was the right idea. "Don't be surprised if she's not ready to talk." She advised, thinking back to conversation she'd had with the girl in question the previous night. "She's pretty pissed."

From her side of the table, Kirsten held a single finger up to her lips, signaling for quiet. Ryan looked over at his surrogate mother and raised a questioning eyebrow. "She's hosting a lunch party." Hailey explained in a hushed voice. "Very stressful."

Ryan nodded knowingly; Kirsten hated throwing parties for New Port's elite but she did it time and again. Kirsten said a few more sentences into the phone and then happily hung up, tossing it onto the table. "Who knew ordering three dozen salmon was so complicated." She mumbled, taking a deep breath.

Hailey made a face and stood up, taking her coffee mug toward the pot for a refill. "I hate salmon." She remarked and Kirsten looked up at her sister.

"I know." She said, flatly. "But you're not going to be here." Hailey looked at her sister. "Can't you go spend the day with Jimmy? Please Hailey." She gave her sister a miniature version of a puppy dog face.

"Sure." Hailey assured her sister, refilling her coffee cup. "Not a problem." Kirsten smiled happily.

Ryan looked at Hailey. "Good, if you're going over to Jimmy's then I can go with you and talk to Marissa." He suggested and Hailey shrugged, telling him it was his call as she headed toward the guest bedroom on the first level of the house.

Kirsten looked over at her adopted son. "You and Marissa having hard times, huh?" It was the sort of question that didn't need an answer. "You guys were so close a few days ago. What happened?"

Ryan sighed. "I really don't know."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Hailey knocked on the front entrance to Jimmy's apartment, she was surprised when Marissa answered. "Hi Hailey." The girl greeted. "My dad stepped out to run some errands." Hailey frowned slightly. "But you're welcome to hang out here until he gets back. I could use the company."

Hailey smiled. "All right." She agreed happily. "Thanks Marissa." The teenager nodded with a smile. "Oh, Ryan wanted me to tell you that he wanted to talk to you."

Marissa frowned. "Tell him I don't care what he wants, I don't want to talk to him." She answered venomously as though she was speaking to Ryan himself and not the messenger.

"You can tell him yourself, he's right outside." Hailey told her. "He insisted on coming along. To talk to you."

Marissa narrowed her eyes and peered past Hailey's shoulder, spotting Ryan easily. "Go away." She told him sharply, stepping aside to let Hailey into the apartment. "I don't want to talk to you." She slammed the door as he began his protest.

With a sigh, Marissa turned away from the door and shuffled back over to the couch, where the television was showing the latest exploits of the misguided teenagers from _The Valley. _Hailey looked at her for a moment, trying to read her emotions. "Maybe, you should at least listen to what he has to say." She suggested.

Marissa turned up the volume on the television set. "I don't care what he has to say." She muttered.

Hailey sighed under her breath; Marissa was going to listen to Ryan until she was good and ready and there was nothing anyone else could do about that. _Hell hath no fury... _she thought as she sat down on the couch next to the teenager.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirsten was trying to figure out if a simple bowl filled with potato chips would have the woman of New Port talking for days when the doorbell rang. She looked up, frowning slightly; no one, not even the sea food caterer was due for another hour. She was going to kill whoever was on the other side of the door if it was party guest deciding to show up early.

But it wasn't a party guest, it wasn't even a woman; Kirsten had never seen the man standing on her doorstep before in her life, there was nothing even remotely familiar about him. Everything about him was greasy, from his skin to his bangs and his eyes appeared almost pure black. Kirsten cleared her throat. "Can I help you?" She questioned. He probably had the wrong house.

"Yes," the man began. "I'm looking for Hailey, I was told that she lived here." He explained.

Kirsten watched him for a moment. "And what do you want with my sister?" She questioned, trying to figure out just who this man was. And why did he say that Hailey lived here? His source must not have been very reliable.

The man extended his hand but Kirsten didn't take it. "My name is Jacob, I was your sister's employer in L.A. There's just a few things I need to clear up with her, since she left so suddenly." He said, a grin stretching his lips apart, revealing the grimy teeth behind them.

Kirsten nodded; the man showing up made sense now, it was just like her sister to cut out of a job without even a word because she felt like it. This needed to be straightened out now and she had no idea when Hailey was due back from Jimmy's. "Of course." She said. "She's actually with a friend right now." She gave him Jimmy's apartment number and directions.

The man, Jacob, smiled again. "Thank you, Mrs. Cohen." He said before turning away and heading back down the driveway.

Kirsten raised an eyebrow, about to call after him, asking him how he knew her name but he was too far away. She couldn't see a car anywhere around either, which was strange. Still confused, she turned and headed back into the house, shutting the door behind her. Oh well, L.A. was full of weird characters.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seth had stopped by his house for a few minutes before being shooed away by his mother once again, since she didn't want any teenage distractions or possible drama to ruin her lunch party. The women she had invited already looked down on her for the fact that she associated with Jimmy and Julie Cooper, and, while she wasn't quite sure why she cared so much about what they thought, she didn't want to give them any other things to talk about.

It wasn't as though Seth needed any excuse to go back to Summer's, but at least this way he didn't feel so guilty about not spending any time at home. After he'd gotten a change of clothes and a quick shower, his mother was ready for him to get out of the house. "Your aunt took the car and she took Ryan with her." Kirsten explained as she tried to figure out how she was going to store three dozen salmon until the guests arrived.

Seth kissed his mother goodbye on the cheek and headed into the garage to retrieve his skateboard, before heading toward Summer's house. A skateboard wasn't as fast as a car but it was better then walking.

When the Roberts house came into view, Seth hopped off his skateboard and nudged it along slowly, relieved to see that Ian was heading out of the house, cell phone against his ear and briefcase in hand and toward his car. As he waited for Ian to pull out of the driveway, Seth gazed toward the sun, which was full of nothing but black clouds, and the temperature was beginning to drop. Though he had doubted it before, there was no denying now that a storm was on the way; he could even hear thunder softly rumbling in the distance.

Seth's eyes left the sky when he heard Ian's car start and rumble out of the driveway, heading the opposite way down the street and leaving the Roberts house behind. Leaving his skateboard on the sidewalk, he crossed through the yard and headed toward the front door.

As soon as he knocked, the door swung open and relieved Summer standing in the threshold; she frowned when she saw him. "What are you doing here, Cohen?" She questioned.

"I came to see how you were doing." Seth answered. "If you wanted to talk about-"

"No." Summer snapped before he even had the chance to finish his sentence. "I don't want to talk about anything. Please, leave me alone." She started to close the door but Seth stuck his foot out and the door bumped against his sneaker.

Seth reached out and took Summer's arm, pulling out of the house and onto the stoop so that they were eye to eye. "Listen, Summer, you can't do this for the rest of your life, you can't ignore people who want to help you."

Summer glared at him, pulling her arm lose. "And how can you help me?" She questioned. Seth didn't give her an answer right away.

"Maybe," he said finally, "just talking about it will help. It'll help you realize that what happened to your mother wasn't your fault."

Summer took a step back, off the stoop and into the yard. "No." She said, shaking her head, seeming almost panicked all of the sudden. She continued backing up, heading toward the road. "I don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone." She turned around and took off running down the road.

Seth stared after her for a moment, surprised by her reaction; he hadn't expected her to run. "Summer!" He called after her, running the same direction she had taken. "Wait!" He snatched up his skateboard and pushed off with one leg.

But, he could no longer tell which way Summer had gone, it was like she had vanished completely. Seth sighed, letting his skateboard coast to a stop. He stared down the street for a moment, trying to figure out which way she had gone but it was no use.

Dejected, Seth headed back the way he'd come, hoping, maybe, that he'd run into her. He needed to come up with a better strategy when it came to talking to Summer because, so far, it didn't appear that he was helping her at all.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Seth returned home, his mother was in the kitchen with several of her lunch party guests. She looked up at her son. "What happened to going to Summer's?" She questioned, looking worried.

"Summer ran off." Seth answered, leaving his skateboard by the door. "She's really upset, Mom." He sighed. Kirsten gave her a sympathetic smile. "If she calls, let me know, okay?"

Kirsten assured him that she would and Seth headed upstairs to his room, shutting the door behind him. He flopped down onto his bed, picking up his plastic horse, which had been resting on his bedside table. "I tell you," he said to Captain Oats. "I need to get better at this supportive friend thing." He sighed. "Any pointers?"

Captain Oats was silent and Seth sighed again. "That's what I thought."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The storm had broken, showering New Port Beach with torrents of rain, thunder rattling the windows and lightning streaking across the sky, by the time the phone rang for the first time since Seth had left Summer's four hours earlier. Seth lay in his room, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the muffled ring of the phone from down the hallway. He knew by that time that Summer wasn't going to call, that she didn't seem to want to talk to him ever again and he didn't even move from his spot.

"Seth!" Kirsten's voice shouted from downstairs. "It's Summer's father." This caused Seth to sit upright, his heart beginning to pound in his chest. Why was Summer's father calling him? Was Summer all right?

Seth hurried from his bedroom and down the hallway, toward the phone in his mother's office. "Hello?" He answered quickly. "Mr. Roberts? Is Summer all right?"

There was a brief pause before Ian spoke. "Then you don't know where my daughter is?" He muttered, sounding just as worried as Seth felt. "I came home thirty minutes ago and couldn't find her; she didn't leave a note and I thought maybe you'd know where she's gone."

Seth sighed. "No." His heart was beating rapidly. "I don't know where she is." This wasn't like Summer at all. "If I see her, I'll make sure she gives you a call."

There was another pause. "Thank you, Seth." Ian said before hanging up the phone, leaving Seth listening to a dial tone.

Summer had gone missing and a chill was developing in the pit of Seth's stomach; somehow, he knew he was responsible for what had happened. If he had never gone to Summer's house, then she would have never gotten as upset as she did and wouldn't have rushed off. Now she could be anywhere and in her state of mind that wasn't a safe thing, especially with the storm raging outside.

As he put down the phone, heading out of the office, there was one thing Seth knew for sure: he had to find her.


	21. The Love of a Hero

__

Wow, I have over a hundred reviews! This is the first time that's ever happened for one of my stories, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. This is the last chapter, after many long months (the better part of a year...); thanks so much to everyone who read this story and reviewed, it means so much to me! So, without further ado, on we go...

Chapter Twenty-One

The Love of a Hero

Without a word to his mother, Seth hurried downstairs, retrieving his skateboard and ducking out the front door in what seemed to him to be one complete motion. In seconds, he was drenched by the torrent of rain that seemed to be pouring from the open sky, nearly blinding him as he hurried down the driveway, ignoring the way the wind whipped the rain in his face.

In the back of his mind, Seth knew exactly where to go and he didn't even stop to think about his destination, traveling the road he had taken many times before. The streets were empty, the residents of New Port Beach kept inside as though they would melt if the rain touched their blemish free skin and perfect hair. Seth blinked the water off his eyelids, shaking his head as he continued on, his skateboard bumping over rocks and holes in the pavement.

Overhead, a streak of jagged lightning sliced through the sky, followed closely by thunder so loud it seemed to shake everything around. Seth chanced a look at the sky, hoping that he was wrong about where Summer had gone, hoping that he wouldn't find her where he knew he would. Lightning flashed again, seeming much closer now then it had before and he looked away quickly, squinting his eyes against the rain as he concentrated on the road in front of him.

Soon, the New Port marina came into view and Seth could see men struggling to tie the boats up tighter so the sea didn't drag them out. He hopped off his skateboard, ignoring it for the most part as it skidded to a stop, his attention on the sea in front of him. The storm had created a mass of waves, cresting ten feet in the air before they crashed back down, only to rise again in a crushing cycle.

Seth had been caught out in a storm like this years ago, before he'd become an experienced sailor and never wanted to recreate the experience; it had been a deep-sea fishing trip with his father and one of Sandy's friends from work. The boat had nearly been shattered by the waves before the captain had managed to dock it and there had been times when Seth thought that he was going to drown for sure. There had been times when the only thing he could see were those rising waves, ready to swallow the boat, him included.

Pushing those memories aside, Seth looked away from the crashing swells and began scanning the row of boats in front of him. He saw mostly yachts, rocking in the water, tugged by the waves. One sailboat still had its sails unfurled but there was little left of the stretched material now.

Seth, however, couldn't see one of the only catamarans in the harbor: his _Summer Breeze_. He felt his heart leap in his chest, his body slowly becoming icy as he hurried toward the space where he usually docked the catamaran. The ropes that had tied her to the dock had been carelessly thrown onto the wood and the boat was gone.

"Summer!" Seth shouted, lifting his gaze toward the ocean, knowing that shouting was useless. The wind pulled his words away before even he had the chance to really hear them; he couldn't see Summer from where he stood, couldn't see the catamaran either and he prayed that was just because she was farther out, not because there was nothing left to see. "Summer!" He couldn't stop himself from shouting again.

Seth turned away, his mind racing, trying desperately to think of a plan of action before it was much too late. Summer most have taken the boat out soon after she'd run away from home and the storm had risen up shortly afterwards. _Please, _he thought feverishly as he hurried down the dock toward the coast guard's station, _let her be okay. Please don't take her from me._

After several moments of pounding on the wooden door of the coast guard's hut, Seth realized that there was no one inside. Cursing under his breath, he turned toward the ocean again, where the surf was steadily getting worse, as it would for hours even after the storm had gone. If the coast guard wasn't around, he was going to have to take matters into his own hands.

Seth picked his boat carefully, choosing one of the few motorized fishing boats, used solely for the purpose of getting inexperienced sailors into deeper waters. He un-tethered the boat, pushing off with his foot as he climbed into the damp boat, heading toward the back. Seth pushed the motor into the water, praying that the captain kept up with the gas inside, and pulled the cord; the motor coughed and fell silent. "Come on!" Seth snapped as he pulled again with as much force as he could.

The motor roared to life, the boat swinging to the right, the nose bumping aside the side of another boat beside it. Seth hurried away from the motor and toward the steering wheel, grabbing it to keep the boat from running into another else. Putting the boat into reverse, he slowly backed away from the docks, spinning the boat into the slamming waves.

The waves slammed into the hull of the boat, threatening to toss it over and Seth gritted his teeth, squinting his eyes against the salt water that splashed against his face. It was impossible to see anything in the churning sea, nothing but waves and foam. Blinking, he leaned forward, attempting to peer through the dimness around him.

"Summer!" Seth shouted again, as loudly as he could, attempting to be heard over the crashing waves. "Please, Summer..." He couldn't see anything and he was slowly developing the feeling that there was nothing to see, that he wasn't going to find Summer and the catamaran because he was already much too late.

Seth turned the boat so that he could no longer see the harbor, heading in the same direction he had taken Summer several nights before, toward the coast where they'd had their picnic. He was running out of ideas and he knew that going toward the coast was his last hope, his last ditch effort before admitting that he was too late. But, even as he thought this, he knew that he could never admit that Summer was gone.

A wave crashed against the side, causing the boat to lurch to the right, water and foam spilling onto the deck. Seth had started to shiver, soaked to the bone, feeling as though there was no hope of ever being dry again. Shaking his head to shed some of the water that had been dripping down his curls, he squinted again, swallowing and hoping that he had missed something before, that he hadn't been looking hard enough.

The boat lurched again, nearly knocking Seth off his feet but he held tightly to the wheel in his hands, keeping the boat on course, not even bothering to check the navigational equipment. Summer didn't have any such equipment, so it wouldn't do him any good to try and figure out where she might be headed.

A swell broke against the front of the boat, momentarily blinding Seth, forcing him to shut his eyes against the assault of the salt water. The boat's bow was in the air for a moment, flattering without the support of the water beneath it; it crashed down again, knocking Seth to the deck, his fingers slipping from the slick wheel.

Seth coughed, spitting out what little water had gone through his nose and opened his eyes once more, unable to see much beyond the bow. When he stood, gaining control of the wheel once again, he could barely see the vague outline of something solid several yards in front of him.

When he had been eight-years-old, his parents had decided that the _Summer Breeze _would be the perfect present for a young boy in New Port Beach and ever since that day, he'd been familiar with every inch of the catamaran. And so, it was easy for Seth to recognize the tiny boat even now, in the crashing waves and stormy atmosphere and he felt his heart take a leap in his chest. The _Summer Breeze _didn't look brand new, but she looked as though she was holding her own in the storm; as he swung the boat in that direction, he hoped that Summer was holding up as well.

As the motor boat grew closer, Seth tried to pick Summer out, but couldn't see her among the swells and mist. He prayed that didn't mean that she wasn't around to see. "Summer!" He shouted, feeling his voice growing hoarse as he shouted. There was no reply, no movement and Seth found himself holding his breath, praying without even realizing it. "Summer!"

Seth exhaled when Summer lifted her head and he saw that she had been lying on the deck of the catamaran, curled in the fetal position, wet hair plastered to her face, clothes soaked, shaking. He felt like crying with relief; Summer was all right, she was all right!

For a moment, Summer didn't seem to remember where she was, or even why she had lifted her head, squinting her eyes against the burning salt water, trying to peer through the storm. When she saw Seth standing at the bow of the motor bow, her eyes opened wide and filled with tears. "Cohen!" She cried, her relief and even happiness evident in her words. She lurched to her feet, extending one arm in his direction, as though expecting him to be able to pull her right off the flimsy catamaran.

Seth smiled in relief, gently steering the motor boat closer to the _Summer Breeze_, careful not to upset the water anymore then it already was. If Summer was knocked into the waves, he might no be able to find her so easily again.

When he was close enough, Seth abandoned the wheel and hurried toward the bow of the ship, leaning across the rusting metal guard rail and reaching out for Summer's hand. His relief grew when he felt her fingers, shaking and damp, close around his own, holding him tightly for fear of letting go.

Seth reached out with his other hand, taking Summer's other arm, and instructed her of where to put her feet so that she won't slip as she got into the motor boat. As soon as she was on the deck, Summer collapsed against him, burying her face in his chest, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Seth wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. "What were you doing?" He questioned, voice barely heard above the raging storm. "What were you thinking?" Seth knew that the answers didn't really matter.

Summer kept her face pressed against his shoulder, shaking in his arms. "I don't know." She answered, her voice low and shivering. "I was so scared, I don't know what happened."

Seth held her, stroking her wet hair, pulling it away from her face. "It's okay." He assured her, kissing her cold forehead. "You scared me, I didn't know if I could find you." Even though Summer was all right, safely in his arms, it still turned his stomach to think about what could have happened to her.

Summer looked up at him. "I knew you would find me." She told him, looking into his eyes. "I was going to the place only you would know where to look."

Seth nodded, he knew that she was going to the coast. "If you wanted me to find you, you didn't have to run away." He told her, kissing her again.

Summer was silent for a moment. "I know." She said finally. "But I wanted to go to the place where I felt safe, for the first time since...Oliver killed himself." She sighed, her tears falling again. "I just want to feel safe again." She pressed her face against Seth's chest again.   
Seth held her, silent, listening to the waves crash against the rocking boat. "We're going to get through this, Summer. I promise."

Summer looked up again and nodded. "We will." She said, sounding like her old self once again. "Together."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan realized that he had spent the better part of his afternoon staring up at the window of Jimmy Cooper's apartment, when all he could see her the closed the blinds. He was sitting in the front seat of the Cohen SUV, watching the window from behind the sheet of the rain that cascaded down the windshield, silently listening to the thunder, wondering if Marissa was ever going to forgive him.

If she would just give him a chance to speak to her, then he could apologize, try to explain what had happened, even if there was no good explanation to offer. Ryan just wanted the chance, the chance to make sure that Marissa really understood what had happened, understood how much he really loved her and how kissing Teresa had meant nothing.

And so, Ryan remained in the passenger seat, watching the window from behind the rain, waiting for his chance.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hailey was in the kitchen, trying to figure out what she -with her limited experience in the kitchen- could make for lunch when someone knocked loudly on the door. Marissa looked up from her channel surfacing and in the direction of the door, scowling slightly. If that was Ryan again, come to harass her even more about forgiving him when he didn't deserve it, then she really was going to give him a piece of her mind.

But it wasn't Ryan standing at the door, dripping water on the welcome mat; it was a man she had never seen before, with sunken eyes and greasy hair. "Can I help you?" Marissa questioned, stepping back slightly, not liking the way he made no move to conceal the fact that he was checking out her assets.

"Yeah, is Hailey here?" He asked, grudgingly looking up at her face. He peered past her shoulder, trying to see in the apartment. "I was told I could find her here."

From the kitchen, Hailey looked up, trying to figure out who was at the door; there wasn't any yelling, so she figured that Ryan had shown up to beg for forgiveness again. "Who is it?" She called, heading into the living room before Marissa could answer.

"Someone for you." Marissa said, turning to look at Hailey, who had stopped dead in her tracks. "What's the matter?" She stepped back, without looking at the man in the door, as though she was afraid of what she might find.

Hailey could feel the color draining from her cheeks. "What are you doing here?" She whispered, trying to get her heart to stop pounding in her chest. It seemed surreal, impossible even, that Jacob could have found her here and was standing at Jimmy's front door. She was supposed to be safe here, somewhere that he could never find her.

Marissa looked from Hailey to the man at the door, who was grinning at the older woman, showing his crooked, yellowed teeth. "I was looking for you." He said. "What else?" Marissa swallowed, feeling a chill go down her spine even though she wasn't quite sure why, and stood next to Hailey.

"Get out of here." Hailey commanded, managing to find her voice. "Before I call the cops."

Openly ignoring her, Jacob stepped into the apartment, kicking the door shut behind him. "You've never called the cops before, Hailey. What makes you think you can do it now?" That grin was still on his face.

Hailey stepped forward, clearly positioning herself so that she was standing in front of Marissa. "This is your last chance, Jacob." She said, her voice loosing some of its nerve. "Get the hell out of here."

Jacob remained where he was and it was obvious to Marissa that he didn't believe Hailey's words, that he knew there was credence to her threats. Hailey cleared her throat, chancing a glance at Marissa. "Give me the phone." She told the teenager, who started toward the coffee table.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Jacob growled and when Marissa turned back to look at him, she saw that he had pulled a gun from the waist of his pants and he cocked it, pointing the muzzle in her direction.

Marissa stopped, her heart seeming to forget how to beat, her blood running cold through her veins. She doubted that she could move even if she wanted to, seemingly unable to even breath as she stared at the cold chamber. All she could think about was Oliver and how he'd had the same icy look in his eyes when he had pointed a gun at her days before and how it had hurt when the bullet tore into her back. Tears sprang unbidden in her eyes and she felt her legs go weak. She couldn't go through this again, not again.

Hailey felt her heart skip a beat. "Jacob, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Her voice had started shaking. "Put the gun down."

For a moment, the gun remained trained on Marissa but slowly Jacob pointed it in Hailey's direction; Marissa remained stiff and tense, her eyes wide, heart pounding. "Come back to L.A. with me Hailey, this is _your _last chance." He said and Hailey knew, without a doubt, that he meant what he said.

Swallowing, Hailey forced herself to step backward. "Like Hell." She snapped with a courage that she didn't feel. "And if you think that coming here and threatening me and some teenager you've never even met is going to make any difference, then you're even more of a pansy then I thought you were."

Jacob started toward her, until he was close enough for Hailey to smell the liquor on his breath when he leaned close to her. He pressed the muzzle of the gun against her cheek, turning it on its side so that the cool metal seemed almost to be caressing her; Hailey shuddered. "It's not nice to insult the man with the gun." He growled, trailing the muzzle down her neck.

Hailey chanced a glance at Marissa, watching the girl out of the corner of her eye. Marissa seemed utterly terrified, frozen, unable to think and she could only guess what she was feeling at the moment. Not even a week after she had just narrowly missed being killed, Marissa was in the same position again. "Marissa," Hailey began, her voice scratchy, her mouth dry. "Get out of here."

Marissa was frozen for a second, as though she couldn't process Hailey's command, but in an instant, she moved, heading toward the door. Jacob turned so fast that Hailey didn't even have time to realize what was happening and grabbed Marissa by the waist, tossing her backward and onto the couch as though she were little more then a rag doll. Marissa landed on the cushions with such force that then wind was knocked out of her and she remained, motionless and sprawled against the cushions.

Jacob pointed the gun at the ground beneath her feet and pulled the trigger, the crack of the bullet echoing so loud through the apartment that Hailey thought she was going to go deaf. Marissa screamed and covered her first with her hands, shutting her eyes tightly. Hailey stared at the spot where the bullet lay imbedded and smoking in the carpet with wide eyes.

"Don't do that again." Jacob advised icily, looking from Hailey to Marissa and then back again. "Sit beside her." He commanded.

Hailey did what he said; instantly, Marissa had moved so that she was sitting right beside Hailey and took the other woman's hand. Hailey squeezed Marissa's hand and realized that she was shaking just as badly as the teenager was. She forced herself to look up at Jacob. "Are you going to kill me?" She questioned, unwilling to say 'us' because a part of her still hoped that Jacob wouldn't kill an innocent teenager.

Jacob seemed almost to be savoring her question for a moment, staring down the barrel of the gun in his hand. "You had your chance Hailey." He remarked, almost nonchalantly, as though he were telling a story about something that had happened to other people. Hailey waited for him to say more, but there was nothing; Jacob remained silent and, for some reason, that scared her even more.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan jerked upright in his seat when he heard the familiar crack of a gun go off in one of the apartments, his heart beginning to pound when he heard the scream that followed. He knew, without a doubt, that he had just heard Marissa cry out and even before he realized what he was doing, he had opened the passenger side door and jumped out into the rain, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

Unsure of what was happening, of why he'd heard a gun shot, Ryan hurried into the lobby of the building and up the winding flight of stairs, toward the third floor. He'd only be to Jimmy's apartment once before but he figured he could find it again now.

As he climbed the stairs, Ryan was aware of just how badly his heart was pounding and how short his breathing was. But none of that mattered; the only thing that mattered was that Marissa was all right.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marissa had started crying, her cheek pressed against Hailey's shoulder and her eyes shut tightly, mumbling "not again" over and over as though she didn't even realize what she was doing. Hailey wrapped her arms around Marissa's shoulders and was holding the girl tightly against her, trying to comfort her and knowing that she wasn't succeeding.

"Jacob," Hailey began, feeling close to tears herself. "Just let her go, don't hurt her." She thought that she would feel even the slightest bit more noble, pleading for Marissa's safety but all she wanted to do was beg for her own. She didn't want to die, not because of this ass.

Jacob didn't answer, he didn't say anything at all, just continued to stare at the muzzle of the gun, as though anticipating the next time a bullet would come from it and find a better target.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan stopped by the closed door, certain that he had found Jimmy's apartment; taking a deep breath and holding it, he pressed his ear against the wood, attempting to hear voices on the other side. He could faintly hear the consistent sound of Marissa's crying and Hailey's voice, though he couldn't make out what she was saying.

Very slowly, each movement carefully measured out, Ryan reached for the brass door handle and turned it, praying that the door didn't squeak as he nudged it open. For the first time in a long time, luck seemed to be on his side and the door opened without a sound.

Ryan peered into the apartment, trying to assess the situation as quickly as he could. A man that he didn't recognize had his back to the door, but Ryan could see that he held something in his hands; Hailey and Marissa were sitting on the couch and Marissa had her eyes closed, unwilling to look at the man and he instantly found himself filled with rage. No one could treat Marissa that way, make her feel so utterly terrified, not his Marissa.

As badly as he wanted to go rushing into the room, Ryan knew that would only get himself or someone else killed. He had to think of a plan, some course of action that would only hurt the man in front of him.

Hailey noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and slowly let her gaze wander in that direction; she saw the door open slowly and felt her heart leap. A part of her was overjoyed that help had arrived, that she wasn't going to die, but she was suddenly nervous for the person on the other side of the door. Jacob wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger and she didn't think she could live with the thought of someone getting hurt because of her.

Ryan came into view, cautiously peeking into the apartment and Hailey felt her blood run cold again; not Ryan, he was just a kid. She prayed that Jacob didn't notice him and quickly turned her attention back to her clearly homicidal ex-boyfriend.

Jacob didn't seem to sense anything had changed and he went right on staring down at his gun; Ryan entered the apartment, nudging the door shut slowly so that it didn't inhibit him in case he needed to move quickly. Jacob cocked his gun, fitting another bullet into the chamber at the same moment the door creaked, causing Ryan to freeze instantly and Hailey to look over in his direction.

Jacob turned quickly, pointing the gun at Ryan and firing; Ryan dodged, crashing into the ground as the bullet cracked over-head. Marissa screamed his name and pulled away from Hailey, as though she was about to go to the aid of her boyfriend. Hailey leapt off the couch and tackled Jacob, catching him off guard and sending them both crashing to the ground.

The gun fell from Jacob's grasp, laying a few feet from where he fell to the ground, cursing as he landed on his side. Hailey tried to get to her feet, to untangle herself from Jacob and make a grab for the pistol but he grabbed her around the throat as soon as she sat up, holding her tightly. Hailey felt her eyes water, and swatted at his hand in vain.

Ryan lifted his head, surprised that he had managed to avoid being shot and quickly looked for Marissa; she was still sitting on the couch, her face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking with sobs. Jacob was slowly choking Hailey and would succeed if he didn't do something soon.

Jacob suddenly released Hailey, flinging her backward into the coffee table, where she struck her head and crumpled to the floor, motionless. He reached for the gun, his fingers finding it easily and he pointed it at her forehead. Ryan jumped for him, shoving him back down to the ground, his fingers searching for the gun and closing around Jacob's wrist, squeezing, trying to get him to release the weapon.

Jacob attempted to twist away from Ryan, trying to pry his hand loose enough to point the gun in his direction. Ryan tried to wrestle the gun away and the trigger went off, firing a bullet into the ceiling above; Marissa screamed again, but remained where she was, shaking on the couch.

Ryan grabbed Jacob's wrist and knocked it against the corner of the coffee table with as much force as he could and the man cried out, releasing the gun. Without hesitation, Ryan snatched up the gun and struck Jacob across the back of the head with the butt of the weapon. With a low groan, Jacob collapsed on the ground, laying motionless, his breathing slow and shallow, the place where Ryan had hit him beginning to bleed.

With a heavy sigh, Ryan tossed the gun across the room, dropping to the ground, suddenly feeling weak as the adrenaline that had been coursing through his body began to dissipate.

For a moment, the whole situation seemed so surreal, like it had never even happened, and Ryan closed his eyes letting everything sink in. As Ryan attempted to recover his state of mind, Hailey coughed and rolled over onto her stomach, keeping her eyes shut, her head pounding and her throat burning. Taking a deep breath, though that only managed to make her throat even worse, she sat up slowly, opening her eyes and taking in the situation. Jacob lay, seemingly unconscious, on his side in the middle of the room, with Ryan several feet away from him, leaning against the coffee table with his eyes closed. Hailey couldn't see the gun any more, which she figured was a good thing; had Ryan really managed to knock out her homicidal ex-boyfriend? That certainly seemed the case and she realized very suddenly that she owed her life to him.

Marissa opened her eyes slowly, blinking away her tears and lifting her head; her eyes settled immediately on Ryan and she felt relief flow through her body when she saw that he was all right. She slipped off the couch so that she was sitting beside him and threw her arms around his neck, startling him for a moment as he opened his eyes, but he quickly returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around her.

"You saved my life." She whispered, pressing her face against his shoulder. "My hero." She smiled slightly, remembering when she had said those words to him days before, under slightly different circumstances.

Ryan kissed her; there were so many things that he wanted to say to her, but somehow nothing seemed right, not at a time like this. He looked at her and said, "I'm so sorry about what happened. I love you so much and-"

Marissa kissed him, silencing him; when the kiss was broken, she looked at him, their eyes meeting. "That doesn't matter anymore." She assured him and he could see that she meant what she said, that what had happened between him and Teresa wasn't important.

Ryan knew that Marissa understood how much he loved her and nothing else had to be said; they both knew that words couldn't describe what they were feeling then.

And, as Ryan held Marissa against him, not feeling much like a hero at all but realizing, instead, that he felt happy and whole again. And, for the first time in days, he knew, from that moment on, that things really were going to be all right.


End file.
